Final Fantasy VIII: The Benediction of AlphaOmega
by subzero2
Summary: "READ..STORY UPDATED" 2 RIVALS, diffrent in personalities, looks ,& love intrests,share one thing in common,THE SAME FATHER.The romances between Squinoa,Seiftis,& Selvine will cause your heart to melt.(Its guarenteed,theres no other story like this story)
1. Chapter 1:verse1 The Sorceress wars

**Disclaimer:** I don't own ff8 characters only my original characters…so I don't want any law suits…I'm not even making any money off this story…the only payment I want is reviews. (Oh by the way…bare with me in the beginning I have to set the tone and the setting so keep reading to the end)****

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              *~ *~* Chapter 1 verse 1:_The Log of the Sorceress War *~ *~*_

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_                        _

_Sep./11/ the year of the sorceress wars_

_I know what you're probably thinking right about now… You're thinking…what the hell is this…Well I won't keep you in suspense any longer…This is what I would like to call, My final thoughts… Yes you read it correctly the first time…My Final thoughts… _

_It's gonna be difficult but I'm just going to have to face the facts… The chances of me making it out of this war alive is as slim as me getting Julia…So…with that in mind, I've decided to immortalize myself through the one thing I'm actually good at…Words… _

_I've decided to write this letter so that hopefully, when I die…Oh…Ahh…I mean… IF I die… My final words will live on forever in the minds of you… My readers… So If you're the "lucky one" who has stumbled across this letter, and is reading it this very instant… Well, then…that means I'm probably dead right about now… Yep, I'm probably resting in peace… you know… pushing up daisies… gone belly up… down for the count… gone to meet hyne… gone stone cold… becoming worm food…  dead as a coffin nail… Ha ha ha…(I think you get the picture)           _

_With that image out of the way, let me properly introduce my self to you… Hi…my name is… or was… Laguna Loire… And let me be the first to tell you, Life as a Galbadian solider has been anything but peaches…_

_Sigh This morning was terrible…don't ask me how but I just barely survived a malevolent battle, against the almighty Timber Army…               _

_There is no doubt in my mind that I was lucky to have mad it out alive…it was a wonder how those meteors didn't land on me…if I didn't know any better, I'd think some sort of supernatural power had something to do with my survival…or maybe even a Sorcer…???…Nah… that's crazy… _

_(Sorry…I would've erased that last statement but I'm not allowed to buy any products from Dr. Odin and he is the only one who has invented a substance that can erase ink… And about why I'm not allowed to buy products from him…it's a long story…) _

_Well Anyway…let me finish telling you what war is like…It's like…like…well… lets just say this…Staying alive in war is like trying to stay cold in hell…Impossible._

_This morning's battle was just that horrendous; A lot of mistakes were made, especially on the part of the general.   (This is for the history books.) The general is mainly responsible for the countless lives that were lost. The reason why I say this is because of the horrible plan he devised. _

_I suppose you all wanna know what that " Big Master plan" was, but to tell you the truth, I really don't feel like getting into the details; it's just that depressing. All I'll say is that he ordered Lieutenant Kramer to have his magic squad climb up a hill, and cast meteor down below on us. Evidently he was trying to…to…??????…. You know what… I don't know what the hell he was trying to do. Maybe one day when this war is over, he'll come forward and explain to the world what in Hyne's name was going on in his snobbish mind at the time. I mean…what kind of plan was he trying to accomplish by having meteor casted upon his own men. sigh So what I'm basically trying to say is, don't believe him if he tries to blame his lieutenants for any of the mistakes that were made…(I heard he's known for doing stuff like that.) _

_I was never that good in math but to sum it all up, this morning's battle has been the product of an abundant amount of lost lives. Now we are going to have to make up for lost time that was spent trying to recover and heal our lost and wounded soldiers. And I know I'll be adding salt to the wound when I write this but, if you haven't figure it out already, We lost that battle this morning; Another battle to add to our loosing streak. _

_Forgive me now for rubbing the salt in the wound, but ever since this war has started, we've lost over 4000 good men. We have also lost supplies and very important documents along with our dignity. Not to mention we've lost, and wasted alot of healing potions on dying soldiers and still haven't even gotten one victory to compensate for their lost lives…If only I could tell you about the many nights where I have dreamt about the lost souls that were viciously taken away from us and that will forever be lost in the realm of the dead. This has caused me to become lost in my own sorrow. It seems like this whole war has been a lost cause. And to make matters worst…I think we are lost…_

_chuckling I know…I know…Now I'm just pouring vinegar on the already stinging wound, but WOW... I've never had to use the word lost so many times…We really must be losers…_

_Hyne…but seriously, I cant believe they really beat us…It's sad because There was more of us than there were of them…and they still managed to kick our ass… I shouldn't be so modest about our lost though … they did have their home environment as an advantage, and they knew every hill, tree and, rock down to what types of insects were living in them…Hell, if you thought that wasn't good enough of as an advantage, they were also being led by a renowned general by the name of Sky Strife… _

_I don't know much about this general, only that he is famous for his excellent strategic war plans, and that he was the son of a great warrior who was once apart of a resistance group called…hmmm…well…ahh… I forgot what it was called…but I think it started with an A…or something…I think its, Ava…Ava…Ava-something but they said that the reason why this group was established was to destroy the government that was creating some sort of substance that was causing damage to the earth…_

_General Caraway knows more about this story than I do so if he makes it out of this alive…you could find him and ask him about it… he is a big fan of that… Clo…Clou…???…hyne…I forgot his name._

_Anyway, This morning's battle was the worst battle I've ever been in since I foolishly joined this army… We were basically slaughtered like Chocobos out there on the battlefield._

_The Timberians just kept getting stronger and stronger. I could've sworn that their swords were being replenished with our blood, just like the body is replenished by water._

_It was a very difficult experience to go through… It's hard digesting the sight of sharp metal points, forcing their way through human flesh... Especially when I've never seen anything like it before… _

_It…it was like…like... We were being fucked…FUCKED…literally…well not literally, but close enough… It was like we were the vaginas, and they were the penises, and they just kept penetrating us with their steel tip rods and swords… And the only thing we could do was cum blood…_

_…Ha ha ha…I cant believe I just wrote that… sigh…I guess this war is badly influencing my thoughts…ahh hell…who cares…if you knew me, you'd know that I would never say anything like that but war could seriously change a man…_

_Well…right now we are camped…???…hmm…you know what…I have no clue where we are exactly. but from the looks of it, we are somewhere in the countryside right next to the Timberian forest. I have to admit though, its very peaceful out here…I have had plenty of time and silence just to think about life and collect my thoughts…And the scenery isn't bad on the eyes either…_

_It's simply beautiful out here. There's nothing but miles and miles of flowers, tress, green grass and low hills…about a week ago, we passed this beautiful lake where the most beautiful ducks and swans were bathing in. It was the most beautiful scenic portrayal of wildlife I'd ever seen. And if you wake up early enough, you could see the rising sun climbing over the mountain tops exposing its warmth throughout the land. It's in these moments where everyone and everything is at peace. The rabbits embraced the dawn's warmth along with the foxes. The cold snakes slither for warmth right beside the country mice, and in the distance you could see red cardinals flying through the sky and disappearing into the sun's red glow. Sunrise is where predators and preys stand in silence and keep peace for 8 minutes each day. Just to watch the rebirth of a star. _

_Too bad the weather hasn't been cooperating with us though…It's been raining now for the past 3 days…well…I guess it has kinda stopped, its just lightly drizzling right now… but I'm sure you could' tell just by looking at the smearing of the ink …(sorry…I hope it isn't too difficult to read…but bare with me) _

_But You know what …I have to admit…I kinda like this dark gloomy weather…its peaceful and relaxing…and it reminds me of something…something I cant quite remember but I know happened…a fragment of my memory that has been lost in my childhood…???…_

_But anyway, don't go telling anybody what I said about liking the climate…a lot of people tend to think that if you like dark gloomy weather then you're evil or depressed or something…well I think that's B.S…my opinions are my opinions and I just like it…I guess I must be the only one who can see the beauty in the heavy dark clouds that can dimly light up the earth with a gray glow… hell I even like the temperature…it's a little bit on the cold side but that's more than alright…I don't think I'll ever understand why people like the heat…its like they have a fetish for being slowly cooked alive under the sun…_

_sigh I can't believe this will probably be my last piece of writing… sure you may just be shrugging your shoulders and saying who cares but, I'm a writer. And to tell a writer that he/she can't ever write again is like telling light that it can't shine anymore._

_Well…it has been two months…two long agonizing months… Ever since they got reinstated to another party, life has been anything but fun. We've fought those hyneforsaken timberians non-stop for the past 5 months now… and along with my mind…it seems like we're loosing this war. Hyne… I just hope they are all right…my friends I mean…you know the ones who got reinstated… If anything ever happened to them I wouldn't forgive myself… after all…I did dragged them into this mess…I was so fucking selfish…all I ever cared about was going on some stupid adventure just so I could have something to write about…I didn't even once try to comprehend the real danger that I was dragging them into…_

_All this just because the Timberians want a sorceress to be put into power…personally I don't care but I did hear a rumor that sorceresses eat little girls…but I'm sure that's only a rumor._

_I'm telling you…it's so hard to stay positive. With each battle that goes by, it feels like I'm taking one step closer and closer to death. It's even harder to deal with when the only thing the general keeps yelling to do is to move forward…_

_For all of you who didn't know, The general's name is Thomas Caraway. (He's the one I mentioned earlier about idolizing Sky Strife's father) Its hard to adjust to the fact that he is responsible for the life of me along with thousands of others…and get this…he's around my age…YOU THINK YOUR SURPRISED!!! Imagine how we felt when we found out that a twenty-five year old will be leading us against the great Sky Strife!!!_

_            I mean… he's an okay general and all but, he doesn't have that much experience in war… Usually you would have to have over 10 years of war experience. (I wonder how he got president Vienzer to overlook this rule)_

_You could say that General Caraway is a distinctive young gentleman. Some men respect him, while others disagree with his strict and communistic political and military views._

_ Personally…I don't know much about politics, but I think he should lighten up on the citizens of Deiling city …they aren't soldiers and they need to be listened to…neglecting them would only cause rebels to form factions against him and try to overthrow the government (just like that Ava something group clo..??? stife was in) but like I said before…what do I know about politics..._

_Well…hmmm…ahhh…I don't really know what else I should say to you…could you believe that. A writer…with a loss of words…I guess I need a "Brazen angel" to come down from heaven and help me__J _

_Hyne…I wonder if Kiros and Ward are alright…I've been so lonely…sigh I didn't even get a chance to tell Julia how much I……………….._

**BBBBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!BBBBOOOOOOMMM!!!!!1BBOOOOMMMMMMM!!!BOOOOOOOOOOMBOOOOOMMMMMMOBBBBOOMM!!!!**

Laguna abruptly stopped writing and slowly raised his head toward the grim countryside…"What in hyne's name was that" he thought to himself. 

His squinted eyes skeptically scoped out every inch of the damp silent countryside in search for the creator of that mysterious noise that came from far in the distance. 

After A few moments of silence went by, He gave up on his search. After seeing nothing but miles and miles of trees hills and grass, he decided to glanced over at the other soldiers in his unit to see if they too heard what he heard. 

He looked at them and saw that they were relaxed and occupied with their current activities. They didn't seem to have been distracted or alarmed as he was… He slowly looked back toward the field with a confused expression across his face…

He shrugged his shoulders and was convinced that whatever it was that he heard…was just his imagination. He was tired and didn't want to be bothered with more worries. So he decided to finish up his death letter… 

_To tell Julia how I love everything about her… from her long curly stallion-like hair that draped down her curvy back like a waterfall… to her beautiful sparkling eyes that I've wished were on me since the first time I saw her…_

_ How her long sexy red dress gripes tightly around her beautiful curves causing my arms to be envious of the dress… and her full red lips…lips that I have many a times hoped would someday be penetrated with my tongue…_

_Wow…I have wanted to get those feelings out for a very long time now… sigh _

_After all this time… all the chances I had…I didn't even tell her how I felt… Only for the sake of my damned cramped leg… and now, she'll probably never know how I felt about her…_

_Tchh…oh yea…its possible that she could be the one reading this letter…but how inconsiderate that would be for someone to find out that someone else had feelings for them through their death letter…_

_Julia…hmmm…if you're reading this I would just like to say that you don't have to feel too bad for me, if you feel bad at all…I should have had the courage to tell you in person…I should have had the courage to tell you that…that…I loved you since the first second that I laid eyes on you… _

_There's this indescribable feeling that I get anytime I see you…its like, I'm seeing you for the first time, everytime…but it was hard for me to tell you because… its like…you're my heaven…and I wasn't sure how I was suppose to get up in you…oh…ahh…I mean…I wasn't sure how I was to approach you so you'd let me in your life… _

_I'd always sit in the corner of this tiny little bar and pretend that you played your songs for me while you had your eyes on me …I'd always wai…….** BBBBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!BBBBOOOOOOMMM!!!!!1BBOOOOMMMMMMM!!!BOOOOOOOOOOMBOOOOOMMMMMMOBBBBOOMM!!!!BOOOOOOM!!!!!!**_

This time with shock and horror, Laguna dropped his pen and quickly picked up his head again. The loud rhythmic noise rang out once more and this time, it was evident to be real because Laguna once again glanced over at his fellow comrades only to see that they were also petrified.

Laguna returned his eyes back to the wet pastures before him and nervously searched the far ends of the country fields for any signs of danger… His eyes wildly jumped from one direction to the other as his body tensed up and chills practically danced up and down his spine to the rhythm of his racing heartbeat. 

Laguna desperately searched the dim-lighted countryside trying to find out who, what, or where that mysterious drumbeat was coming from…But Because it was the rainy season, the dark heavy fog that hugged the countryside made it hard to see in the distance; not to mention that the grayness of the cloudy sky didn't help the visibility either… 

The other 2000-galbadian soldiers who were by their tents, conversing, and eating… simultaneously stopped what they were doing and quickly looked toward the field in fear and silence…

They too strained their eyes to see what mystery was beyond the fog and on the other end of the meadowy field…but no one was in sight…

By now, everyone's fear paralyzed their bones. They were frozen stiff and silent. The only things that could've been heard was the drizzle of the light rain, and the loud distant beating of the mysterious drummer…

**BBBBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!BBBBOOOOOOMMM!!!!!1BBOOOOMMMMMMM!!!BOOOOOOOOOOMBOOOOOMMMMMMOBBBBOOMM!!!!BOOOOO**

The beat of the distant drums sounded again… and this time…an echo was heard throughout the silent countryside that made it almost impossible to tell where the uproar was coming from…

**BBBBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!BBBBOOOOOOMMM!!!!!1BBOOOOMMMMMMM!!!BOOOOOOOOOOMBOOOOOMMMMMMOBBBBOOMM!!!!**

Lightning struck… As the thunder began to harmonize with the steady beat of the enigmatic drums. Everyone who was frightened and nervous now grew hysterically scared … these types of events were things that only happened in horror movies, Not in real life…

The unknown always seemed to be able to dismantle a man's courage and pride and leave him shaking in his own piss... And in this case…his own shit. 

Without any warning, Laguna, along with the rest of the Galbadian army saw two tall dark figures running directly towards them in full speed... Because of the thickness of the fog and the dark dull gray light that the gray clouds reflected from the hiding sun, the only thing that could've been seen were their shadows.

 Everyone's reflexes told them that danger was approaching. They knew that the only way they'd survive was to protect themselves, by any means necessary…so they did….Everyone one rose to their feets, and grabbed their weapons

The departure of two whistling arrows could've been heard flying through the foggy air as it left the bow of an unknown solider. In a matter of moments the arrows landed. Not on the ground but directly in the chest of the two unknown figures…

"**NOOO**…. **WAIT**…." a solider, yelled as he ran through the crowd of terrified galbadians. He nimbly ran toward the unfortunate figures that lay breathless on the wet grass 20 meters away from Laguna. He couldn't help but hope that these two things or men, were the prime reason for all this drumming…but a little voice in the back of his mind told him otherwise

BBBBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!BBBBOOOOOOMMM!!!!!1BBOOOOMMMMMMM!!!BOOOOOOOOOOMBOOOOOMMMMMMOBBBBOOMM!!!!BOOOOOOM!!!!!! 

The sudden beating of the drum caused him to abruptly stop 10 ft away from the two figures. He was in disbelief. Whatever or whoever they were, were not the cause of the loud sounds. "_Shit" he said to himself. "__We may have killed two innocent men"_

…He slowly crept up closer to them with hesitation. He was hoping that they weren't who he thought they might be… He nervously looked down and observed their bodies. He saw the arrows that were planted in their chest; and his eyes then trailed higher toward the figures heads. He saw their faces… he couldn't help but expel sorrow out of his eyes. He raised his head back up to the frantic galbadian army who all stood silent and afraid. 

He screamed at them with a cracked voice "**JEEZ**…**WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH TCY'ALL** …**THEY WERE THE FUCKING LOOKOUTS YOU FOOLS**…" the anger in his cries now started to transform into compassion. "…They…they were my friends" 

When the grieving man said this Laguna quickly thought about his two friends. Out of curiosity, He imagined himself in that man's position a pretended that the two dead soldiers were Kiros and ward…he wanted just to see how painful it would feel…Laguna quickly shook himself out of his thoughts which were more than he could've handled.

With anger, the grieving solider swiftly turned his head away from the embarrassed army and bent down to checked his friends for a pulse… "damnit…" he loudly sighed "nothing…not one fucking beat." he said as tears extracted from his eyes…" 

It was very ironic when he said that because what he wanted most of all was a beat. And that's exactly what he got; only this beat wasn't the beat he had in mind.

**BBBBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!BBBBOOOOOOMMM!!!!!1BBOOOOMMMMMMM!!!BOOOOOOOOOOMBOOOOOMMMMMMOBBBBOOMM!!!!**

The whole Galbadian army jumped up with fear. There was something about the ballad of that drumbeat that caused them to be scared. They continuously focused their eyes into the distance, hoping that whatever or who ever the drummer was would come out and reveal himself. 

 "Great" a nearby solider said with sarcasm… "They were probably running to tell us what that fucking sound was … and now that some…**ASS**hole shot them…we are fucked…" 

"**YEA**" another solider in the crowd agreed… "**WHO THE HELL KILLED THEM**…"

Laguna could tell that a panic was about to erupt. He started to grow nervous as each of the soldiers looked at one-another with accusing glares. Laguna was scared. He had the right to be because a bow and arrow was considered a projectile weapon, and therefore they would blame the members in the projectile weapons unit and that was a unit he was apart of.

Fortunately, the sight of galbadians fighting galbadians made a solider angry. He turned out to be the voice of reason. "**LOOK MEN**…**FUCK IT**…LETS JUST TRY To bring these men back…his voice started to fade as he realized that he had everyone's attention. "We'll figure out who shot them later"

Relived, Laguna helplessly watched the men struggle to revive the two fallen soldiers back to life. "_Shot by their own men." Laguna thought to himself. He felt utter sympathy for them.  Here were two soldiers, who most likely had valuable information, and who survived every bloody battle up till this point, only to be killed by their own men by mistake. _

Laguna's attention was obstructed by a quick flash of light that came from the bodies of one of the lookouts. The light came from a fog binocular that was attached to the unconscious soldier's shoulders. The binocular had a sticker on it. Just by that sticker, Laguna could tell that it was an Odin's brand. This sticker was placed on any device or potion that was developed by doctor Odin; and when something is created by dr. Odin, it often meant that, that device is the best out there…

A healer swiftly made his way through the crowd and up to the two fallen lookout birds that were accidentally shot down. He too checked their pulses hoping that the only reason the other soldiers couldn't find one was because they were doing it wrong…miraculously a light pulsation was moving into one of the soldier's neck…He was the only one who was still alive…barely, if that even counted. 

 The healer lightly sprinkled a few drops of cureaga on the lookout's chest. After what seemed to be an eternity, the badly bruised solider slowly opened his eyes. 

"**QUICK SOMEONE**" the healer yelled with exasperation "**GO GET THE GENERAL…"** No one moved. Everyone stood still and silent. The healer looked back up at them in disgust… "…**WELL…WHAT ARE YOU WAITINING FOR…SOMEONE GO NOW…"**

A slim looking solider built up the confidence to speak… "W-we don't know where he is…" he said as an excuse, not really being honest to let the healer know that he along with the others were just afraid to deliver the bad news to the general.

 "He's holding a secret meeting with his lieutenants…" the healer responded. "His tent is over that hill that's behind us…" the healer pointed with his finger and continued to speak "After you get up the hill, run 30 paces down where you'll make a left and run for another 40 paces in that direction. You'll see a cave toward the right…you'll find them in there… now go now"

The Slim solider could hardly stand. The uneasiness of knowing that he would have to deliver the general this bad news made his knees shake violently. 

Because he didn't want to be looked upon as a coward, he shook his head. And started jogging toward the cave. This act inspired two other men who decided to go with him.

The healer now focused his attention back to the wounded solider. He put his bag of potions under the soldier's head as a pillow for comfort. He then looked around at the thousands of distressed soldiers who all crowded behind him. "**DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY ALCOHOL**" he yelled.

"**YES I DO**." a deep voice shouted toward the center of the congested crowd." a bottle of whiskey was thrown from solider to solider until it finally reached the hands of the healer…With some effort; the healer finally took the cork off the bottle and poured it on the soldier's chest.

The whole time, Laguna wondered to himself _"…hmm… I wonder why he didn't pour cureaga on his chest…why whiskey, doesn't he know that cureaga is way better than whiskey…???"_

**BBBBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!BBBBOOOOOOMMM!!!!!1BBOOOOMMMMMMM!!!BOOOOOOOOOOMBOOOOOMMMMMMOBBBBOOMM!!!!**

Despite the continuous beats of the drums, which pounded fear into the hearts of each of the men, the healer had to stay focused. The survival of this solider was vital to the survival of the entire army. The healer gently placed his hands on the large arrow that was stuck in the soldier's chest and with caution; bent the end of the arrow until it broke. He poured the rest of the whiskey on his wound and tightly held the near dead soldier's hand. Laguna noticed that he didn't even bother to take the arrowhead out of the soldier's chest.

Laguna was now enraged, "_What kind of healer is this…???" Laguna thought to himself. He didn't understand why the healer didn't, one; pour cureaga on his chest, and two; take the arrowhead out._

BBBBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!BBBBOOOOOOMMM!!!!!1BBOOOOMMMMMMM!!!BOOOOOOOOOOMBOOOOOMMMMMMOBBBBOOMM!!!!BOOOOOOM!!!!!!BOOOOOOMM?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

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**Authors notes:            Ok its kinda long but, it gets longer…sorry like I said before I just had to set a tone ill be getting down to bussiness in the next chapter…I've been working on this project for 5 months now and believe me, I have hundreds and hundreds of more pages to be put out, I'm just editing them.**

**I know your asking what about the other cast of ff8…trust me they'll be included. I have a story for each and everyone of them, but I have to start from the beginning. But please…please leave reviews…I cant stress that enough…reviews are my payment…I don't work if I don't get paid…so please leave a review…**** Well the plot definitely thickens. A lot will happen and you'll notice that I'll use scenes from the real game into my story. So consider my story a prequel and a sequel all mixed in one.**

**I'll explain various things and situations that the game didn't explain and I have new and original characters that you will fall in love with. **

**the way I write isn't the same way others writers write though. Chapters are like episodes, and verses are like chapters. So when I say "chapter one verse one"…I really mean "episode one chapter one"…"chapter 1 verse 2"…means "episode one chapter two" etc…**

**Theres one thing I don't do that most writers do though…and that's rush into things…these verses are 5 months old but I didn't put it out because everything has to be perfect and perfection takes time and I knew if I put this piece out you'd have to wait like two weeks for another verse. so now I'm finished with the first chapter (1st episode) which is around a 6 verses long(67 pgs in all). So each week ill put up a new verse. And while your reading chapter one and all its verses, I'm writing chapter 2 and 3 so you'll never have to wait months at a time for new chaps to be up.(considerate huh)**

**Oh about the pairings…you'll have to just wait and see but don't worry…this is not a yaoi…and I wont do weird pairings like Zell and Quistis, I mainly try to stick with the tone of the game…and there are a lot of plots and themes that fits beautifully with this story so bear with me**

**(Remember…) please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please Please  please please please please please please please please please please please **

**Please please please please please please  please please please please please please please**

**                                    Please please please please please please please please please please please please please**

**                                    Please  please please please please please please please please please Please please please**

**                                    Please  please please please please please please please please please Please please please**

**                                    Please  please please please please please please please please please Please please please**

**Leave a review…**

**I have been working for 7 months now and I'd be soooooooooo sad if I get like 10 reviews…I want every reader to just do his/her part and please leave a review…whether good or bad I don't care as long as I know someone read it…ill try to write you back I promise…you could say how much you hated it or you could even say if you liked it you could even leave suggestions or tell me what you think will happen next…ill be the only author who would except flames because flames is what makes you a better writer so please leave reviews…without them I don't feel the need to write any more…so you, yes I'm talking to you pretty please write a review for me…thanx…oh just to let you know…my author notes will never be this long again.**


	2. Chapter 1:verse 2 The Mystery Unveiled

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         *~*~* Chapter 1 verse 2:The Mystery Unveiled *~*~*

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"…Alright everyone…I want silence now… This meeting will now come to order… Before we begin, lets just get one thing strait. Even though everyone here has permission to speak freely, you will still have to address me as the usual Sir… or General Caraway…is that clear?" 

            The eleven lieutenants who now silently sat in the wooden chairs around a large oak table acknowledged the general's request and nodded their heads in agreement.

"Ok then…" The general, said as he turned his back toward the officers and lit another torch hanging from the cave wall. After he was satisfied with the intensity of the flame, he turned back around and smiled.

The lieutenants looked at him nervously. His resemblance was of a ghost. The left side of his face disappeared entirely from the shadows that the flame casted in the dark cave. Seeing the General like this made the lieutenants feel uneasy…Even though they knew that he wasn't a tyrant, he intimidated them, especially when he looked like that. 

General Caraway started to pace back and forth around the dark cave with both hands behind his back and his head down as if he was deep in his thoughts. 

"Lets get started… he said casually as his pacing came to a halt. His piercing eyes stared blatantly at his officers who sat silently and at full attention. "We need to elaborate on the mistakes that were made during this morning's horrific battle that was lost to **those**…**those**…" The general paused and took a moment to calm himself down. "The battle that we lost to those timberians… Now does anyone have any input they'd like to word in?"

Everyone sat silently. There were a million and one thoughts going on in their minds but each of them dared not to put any of them into words. The crackling of the torches that dimly lit up the dark cave was the only sound that dared to make its presence known.

General Caraway stood still like a statue and stared at his apprehensive officers. Even though he was one of the youngest men to serve in the army, he had the most power. He didn't need president Vinzer authorization to do whatever he wanted. 

"**You mean to tell me that no one doesn't have anything to say**?… **Not even one damn thing**?…" he rolled his eyes almost making them hide in the back of his head. He plopped both hands down on the steady wooden table and leaned forward steering into the eyes of each of his officers. "So what your silence is basically telling me is that you ran like chocobos out there...because if you were actually there…like I was…you would've seen about a million of mistakes that were made…" He paused for only a moment so that his statement would have more of an affect on them… "I can't believe all of you don't have nothing to say about what happened."

Everyone remained silent. They all knew that even if he considered their opinions or strategies, he would've been too proud or stubborn to actually use them. He wasn't the type of person who'd humbly praise any ideas that were better than his. The only reason why he asked for opinions were so he could turn them around and re word them to make it look like his own. Therefore, no one said a word because they knew it wasn't worth the bullshit that came with it.            

"All right then… he said walking away from the table. "Since none of you have half of brain to at least share one fourth of its intelligence…Ill get strait to the point. 

General caraway picked up a twig that was on the dirt floor and went back toward the wooden table where the officers sat. He drew out a large 12" knife from his pouch and plunged it into the table. He carved lines and curves into the wood. He was making a map of their surroundings. He drew a lake, the timber forest, and the hills in the countryside. He even drew the unfinished railroad that was currently being built…

When he was finished, he threw the knife down that landed tip first on the ground.

"Alright…You all better make sure you pay very close attention…I don't want anymore dumb mistakes…is that understood?" 

Annoyed, all the lieutenants shook their heads simultaneously. 

"Ok then…lets begin…" General Caraway took the twig that was in his right hand and pointed it to where he carved the hills on the table. 

"When my team approached this hill right over here, we were suppose to momentarily hide and wait for the enemy to come close enough where we would then attack them with the element of surprise…Then while they were stunned, you lieutenant Kramer were to have your magic squad climb on top of this hill right above the enemy, and have them cast bio on them. Then on my word, you were then to order them to cast the biggest meteor shower on top of them, ultimately crushing most of their men to the ground. 

Now lieutenant Dintch…this is where you were supposed to come in. While Lieutenant kramer's men are casting meteor on the enemy down below, you and your squad of martial artist were to flip through the falling fiery meteors and barricade the enemy on the other side so they couldn't escape. I know that, that would've been very difficult but you and your men are the only ones in this army agile enough to do it. This would then leave the Timberians sandwiched in between my army and the army of martial artist and therefore enabling our victory. 

General Caraway raised his head back up and looked at his lieutenants in disgust. "We should've won that battle this morning…we outnumbered those woodchucks 5to1…There's no excuse why we lost…NONE WHATSOEVER…"

The counsel of lieutenants glanced over at each other nervously and looked down in shame. They knew that the only reason why they lost was because of the poor orders that were given to them. But at this point, it didn't matter. What happened, happened and the past cannot be changed.

"So right now…" The general continued. "We are located right here..." He used the same twig and pointed in the middle of the timber forest and the Timber lake, which was the countryside. "I have new orders from president Vienzer to move out from this point and send three…"

"Ahh…Cara…I mean…General Carried-Away..." A snobbish voice boldly interrupted… 

The general paused. He slowly raised his head to see a chubby man leaning back in his chair and starring egotistically at him. 

The general's silent look of disbelief that someone purposely defied him made him curious to know what this 60 year-old pudgy man had to say. So he slowly and silently bent his head down urging the proud lieutenant to continue.

"Well oh so great **young** leader…" the old man sarcastically said emphasizing the word young. "I have to say that we've done a lot of dumb things since this war started… But…thee dumbest thing we've done so far…besides listening to you…was making camp here…here of all places!!! His voice now intensified. Right in the middle of the open fucking countryside!!!" The general kept his silence, So the old man used it as an opportunity to continue what he had bottling up inside. "If you'd done your homework like I have…you would've known that there is a great chance of running into the timberians in an open space like this…" The old man's eyebrows raised almost touching his receding hairline as he continued to speak. "A smarter general would've hidden us in the mountain ranges to the west of the lake that you ever so forgot to draw with your tiny little knife..."

The pot-bellied lieutenant lay back in his chair and devilishly curved his lips in the shape of a smile.

 All the other officers in the room were quiet and shocked …they didn't believe that someone would actually have the courage to talk to the general like that…it gave them a sense of security. They felt that maybe the general wasn't Hyne. In-fact he wasn't near anything like Hyne…maybe he was just some punk kid with a big mouth.

General Caraway paused… he took his eyes away from the defying officer and amusingly stared at all his other lieutenants to see their reactions…After seeing that their expressions were basically the same as his, shocked, he returned his eyes back to the snobbish old officer and also returned a devil's grin… 

"I know what you think of me when you look at me…he stated calmly. "You ask yourself…why the hell is it that someone of my age is giving someone of your age orders…" The general started to nod his head. "True… You may have more experience in war than I do…And true… you have a right to state your opinions… tchh' hell that's the idea… the whole reason why I called for this meeting is so I could hear what you have to say about what we did wrong this morning…BUT…His voiced started to shake as his tone changed from a calm into a storm. "If you EVER talk to me in that fucking tone again," he said trying to stay calm "I will have your loose, wrinkled, skin, wrapped around your stubby neck, and have the other end tied to a horse, and have you dragged all the way past the lake, and up to the sharp Fucking mountain ranges that I ever so forgot to draw with my little knife…" he said imitating his old scraggily voice. "Now…do you understand me old man…" He said sustaining his calmness.

The old man looked at the general in silence with a hurt gaze…

"I SssaiD…Do You UnnDereStanD Mmee…" the general said mocking him by pronouncing his every word.

"……………………Y-yes" the officer said ashamed and embarrassed after a few moments of silence.

The general frowned as he pushed the old man's embarrassment even further "Yes what????……."

"……Yes sir…………" the old man replied scornfully.

"Ok then." General Caraway announced cheerfully trying to get back to business. "Back to what I was saying." 

He quickly walked away and glanced over at one of his younger lieutenants, who was sitting in the far right side, smirking delightfully as he stuck his middle finger up under the table obviously trying to make the general see that he was too defying him…

General caraway gave a half grin while shaking his head and continued with the meeting not paying any attention to him…

"…It's now 4:10 p.m. the temperature is dropping, and I think its going to rain hard again tonight. So before night comes, ill dispatch a rider to Deiling City and hopefully, we can get some more sheets and blankets before it gets really cold… So where was I…" The general paused for a moment trying to gather up his thoughts. "Oh yea…Like I was trying to tell you earlier before I was viciously interrupted." He said as he looked at the still ashamed old lieutenant, who quickly looked away as soon as the general's eyes met his. 

 "Tomorrow early… President Vinzer has ordered us to rendezvous with the rest of the galbadian army back at the Centra ruins…There I'm suppose to send three of my most elite soldiers and have them infiltrate a canyon possessed by Esthar…"

"Esthar Sir?" One of the lieutenants questioned… "Why Esthar…what do they have to do with this war…"

"Thanx to captain Dintch." General Caraway answered; "he and his crew of martial artist were able to gather up some useful intelligence." Thanx to him and his incredible skills, we may be able to turn this war in our favor.

 Captain Dincth sat there quietly and began to blush. 

General Caraway continued "It seems that Esthar's government is secretly in negotiations with timber's general, Sky Strife… We believe that Esthar may soon join this war in efforts to legalize the rule of sorceresses... So we need to dig up the seed before it starts to grow.  Once these Three soldiers are in the canyon, they are to patrol the area and annihilate any esthar soldiers that may be standing guard. While they are patrolling, another 3 elite soldiers who will most likely be you Captain Dintch, and two other men in your squad are to find General Sky Strife and the members of the Estharian government, and assassinate them all…"

The eyes of the lieutenants widened. They couldn't believe it. Even Captain Dincth was astonished. He didn't know weather to be honored that he was chosen for such a job or scared. He was expected to kill the most famous general in the world, who was the son of the most famous warrior. This type of expectation wasn't to be taken lightly…"

"Ok boys… get some rest, we are moving out at 0800 hours tomorrow…this meeting is adjourned…"

One by one the officers quickly marched out the room in conversations with each other. Only one of the officers took their time to exit the cave and it was the same officer who stuck up his middle finger up at the general under the table…as he slowly walked toward the exit, he felt a bear-like grip tightly wrap around his arm. He turned to see General Caraway looking fiercely at him…

"If you ever stick up your middle finger at me again, I will have it inserted in a horses ass do you understand me…"

The lieutenant looked back at General Caraway with the same tenseness that was looked upon him. "Will it be the same horse that you'll use to tie that poor old man's skin to, while that horse is running up those sharp mountains…cause id rather you have my finger inserted in your ass……"

The two men continued to look at each other in silence and evil glares.

 General Caraway couldn't hold it in anymore; he burst out laughing…A few seconds later the lieutenant's laughter also began as he dodged Caraway's arm that lightly swung at him.

"Aqulis you're a fucking screwball" The general said laughing.

"And you…you think your some sort of big general because you can threatened some poor old man…" Aquilis said laughing even harder… "how are you going to threatened someone with their own skin he added… that doesn't make sense"

The hysterical laughter flooded the room…

You are seriously never gonna change are you old friend…Aquilis tried to muffled out of his laughter

The general continued to laugh…my skin will probably get loose and wrinkled too but… I wont…I will never change.

The laughter continued when suddenly a solider burst into the cave while the other two soldiers he was with fought off the guards that tried to keep them out.

"What the hell……" General Caraway quickly turned around

"Excuse me sir…permission to speak sir…"

Aquilis and General Caraway looked at the slim framed solider as he breathed heavily. They knew that whatever it was, it had to be urgent. Everyone knew that unless you had permission, you weren't allowed to enter any room that held a meeting…it was precautionary issues concerning confidential assignments…

"Speak" Caraway ordered.

"Sir…we..hum… heard something on the other side of the field…"

General caraway looked uninterested "What was it?"

"We aren't entirely sure…it sounded something like drums or something supernatural"

The general looked at Aqulis in confusion…this type of thing wasn't normal.

"Oh and sir" the solider said interrupting the Generals thoughts… "Hmmm…Ahhh." The slim solider started to procrastinate what he was about to say. He knew that even though he had nothing to do with it, the general would've taken his anger out on him.

"Well" general Caraway asked impatiently "…What is it?"

"Hmm…we believe that the two lookouts have information on what or who is causing the beat of the drums…"

The general face now turned from an annoyed look to a pleasant one…he had always argued with president Vienzer on whether or not having lookouts was necessary and safe. This case would prove that it was indeed useful…

"Oh general" the solider said … "by the way…" one of the lookouts is dead and the other one is in critical condition…

The general's face was now enraged… he didn't expect to hear that. How the hell did that happened?

Wwell…w-we, 

Why the hell didn't you tell me earlier the general angrily interrupted?

 W=we t-thought that…I mean…tthey were running like…it was foggy and…

"Shit enough with the stuttering…just take me to them now."

Finally after 5 minutes of running non-stop, the tired general along with 7 of the lieutenants finally came to the scene…

 All the soldiers were relived. Now the responsibility of what to do next was on their General's shoulders, not theirs. The only thing they would have to do was worry about obeying orders correctly and staying alive.

Laguna was happy to see that order would now be restored. He saw the general quickly making his way through the swarm of terrified soldiers toward the lookout.  Finally it hit him. Laguna realized why…after wondering for a longtime, he finally figured out why the healer gave him whiskey instead of cureaga…he didn't want to waste it… he didn't want to waste cureaga on a dying man…that's why he didn't bother to take the arrow head out of his chest. He didn't want to cause any further pain for the solider.

The general eventually got to the wounded lookout and bent down next to him. He saw that he had no chance of surviving and hoped that he could get as much information out of him as possible before he died… 

What did you see the general asked sternly…?

The solider that was choking on his own blood as he struggled to speak…

…….I-it'sss……ttthe…the….Ti…Ti…timm…ber..riannnnsssss…ssir….

The General paused, he tried his best to stay calm but everyone could see the fear that shot through his body at the mention of the Timberian Army. "How many of them the he asked with authority"

"……aa…..aabouttt…..ttttttt….tthh….thhreee….hhhun..dredd…"

"Three hundred?" the general repeated wanting to make sure he heard correctly.

The dying solider shook his head…

Which direction are they coming from? Do you know?

The solider slowly lifted his hand and tried to point. "ffrrom tthe  eeasstt…"

"Ok solider" the general said sympathetically " thanks… now go in peace…and hyne's speed."


	3. Chapter 1:verse 3 The Plan

                                   ~^~*~^~*~^~*~^~*~^~*~^~*~^~*~^~*~^~

                           *~*~* Chapter 1 verse 3:The Plan *~*~*

             ~^~*~^~*~^~*~^~*~^~*~^~*~^~*~^~*~^~

Without any hesitation, The general quickly rose up from his crouched position, and stared at his anticipating army. He knew that what he was about to say would make their warm-blood flow ice cold…But he had no choice. He had to do what a general was expected to do… 

"ATTENTION EVERYONE!!!" He paused. He could feel the eyes of his entire army violating him. They apprehensively stared at him like starving dogs waiting to be fed; fed answers that only he could supply. 

He lowered his head in deep thought as the rain-droplets fell from his nose. He wanted to carefully put his thoughts into delicate words so that his "starving dogs" wouldn't choke on them. 

Finally he spoke. "Lieutenants…I want you to organize your squads together and get them into position right away…I'm afraid I have some bad news…T-the…the Timberians are coming…"

A brisk cold chill ran up and down the spines of the soldiers. The last few months of fighting caused a seed of fear to grow inside the men's hearts. Ever since General Sky Strife betrayed the Galbadian government and merged with the Timberians, his remarkable strategies and leadership has caused the galbadians to conceive many losses; both in confidence and lives.       

The startled lieutenants swallowed the lump that was in their throats and nervously looked around at each other. They were reluctant to follow the general's orders only because they weren't mentally ready for another battle with the "almighty" timber army.  The battle that was fought this morning stole and dismantled their hearts and left their courage and pride without a beat. 

The whole army continued to remain silent and still. It was obvious that death's shadow was lurking closely behind them. There was definitely something about them that made him want to reap their souls.

Lieutenant Aquilis looked around at his fellow lieutenants. He stared at most of them before his face contorted into a repulsive expression. At that moment he was ashamed and disgusted. When he looked at his fellow lieutenants, he smelt their stale piss that swayed in the fresh country air and saw their scared eyes that was swollen up with tears. There was no doubt about it that he too was scared but he was determined to confront his fears like a man. 

"Well lieutenants…" Lieutenant Aquilis angrily roared out. "You heard the General…Get your squads into their positions…what the fuck are you waiting for…your soldiers are waiting for you to show them your example of courage… now …go!!!" 

Despite their feelings of emotional terror, they all knew Lieutenant Aquilis was right. They had to set an example for the other soldiers. They knew that being afraid could alter a man's senses and cause him to be a hazard to both himself and others. Therefore, they had to swallow their fears and be brave. 

*~*~*~*~Fear that is swallowed must travel directly to the pit of one's stomach. But anything that inhabits the stomach is only temporary, For it must be digested back out…therefore a brave man will often have to deal with his own fears more than once. But be cautious though… when something is digested back out of the stomach, it will take on an even worse form than it was originally. Hence making the fear even worse than before.~*~*~*~*

                        ~*~~*~Sub-Zero:the confidant~*~~*~ 

The motivated Lieutenants scrambled through the now panicked crowds of confused soldiers, trying to sort out their units together as General Caraway looked on proudly.

"LAGUNA!" Aquilis screamed. "FOR ONCE, WILL YOU STOP YOUR HYNEDAMN WRITING, PUT YOUR ARMOR ON, AND RUN TO YOUR POST." 

Startled, Laguna hastily acknowledge his lieutenant. "Yes Sir…Right away Sir." Laguna quickly got up from the smooth rock that he comfortably sat on for hours and went for his military accessories pack that was five feet away from him. He anxiously took out his combat boots and armor, leaving his machine gun lying next to the pack. With one hand, he hurriedly tied his boots and with the other hand, he struggled to put his chest armor on; a stunt only Laguna could perform. 

Suddenly, reality struck. The Timberian army was on their way to fight again…To win again…To kill again. 

Laguna could feel his stomach become infested with butterflies. They flew around playfully as if they were trying to get out: And that's exactly what they did. Without any warning, Laguna abolished the little food that churned in his stomach, through his mouth. "UUUUUUAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH…puff huff…UUUUAaaaaaAAA…cuff…cuff!!!" Laguna continued to gag as he finished throwing up. This was normal for him before each battle. It was his way of getting rid of most of the butterflies. He wiped his mouth with his handkerchief and went to put on his gear.

After he was finished tying his boots with his right hand, putting his armor on with his left hand, and throwing up again through his mouth, and looking like a fool doing all three at once, He ran in the opposite direction of his post, forgetting his machine gun and "final thoughts" letter that lay by his pack. He expeditiously made his way toward the corpse of the two dead lookouts, where he earlier saw the Odin brand binoculars.

Another Lieutenant, who was busy assembling his unit together, caught a glimpse of Laguna running away from his designated post. He figured that Laguna was trying to get-away… "HEY AQUILIS… ONE OF YOUR MEN IS MAKING A RUN FOR IT…LOOK!"

Astonished, Aqulis heard and quickly turned around to see whom it was. He stood breathless as teardrop almost slipped passed his eyes as he saw Laguna running away from his post. Laguna was last person he expected to see trying to escape. He had great respect for him. Laguna was everything most soldiers weren't. Honorable, humble, trustworthy, kind, loyal and the list goes on. 

There were countless times where Laguna had the opportunity to be sent home, but each time; he refused because his loyalty wouldn't allow him to leave without his friends. 

Aquilis knew that rule #24 in General Caraway's Army Guide stated that _"if a soldier from your unit should try to escape, he must be reported to the general immediately where he would then have this solider hunted down and shot on the spot." _

Fortunately for Laguna, Aquilis decided not to inform the general. He knew that Laguna should've been out this war along time ago; In-fact he had always admired him for staying this long.

Heavy-heartedly, Aquilis went back to work on organizing his men before the Timberians arrived…or even worse, General Caraway. 

"All right Men…" Lieutenant Aquilis screamed. "I want you vagina's to get up that hill quickly…COME-ON…I MEAN NOW...LETS MOVE IT, MOVE IT, MOVE IT…!!"

Aquilis himself started for the hill until he saw Laguna's lonely machine gun lying on the damp grass beside a rock. "_Poor thing…" he thought to himself. "__He must've been so scared that he forgot his gun…" Aquilis went back; he decided that he would keep the gun as a memento. Maybe one day, he would've even returned it back to Laguna. It would've just been a simple excuse to see him again._

Aqulis dispiritedly walked over to the gun not paying any attention to the running soldiers who were bumping into him and knocking him around like a pinnate. 

When he reached, he bent down to picked up the gun where he suddenly saw a piece of paper. He read the first three lines.

_Dear unknown reader, I know what you're probably thinking right about now…You're thinking…What the hell is this…Well I won't keep you in suspense any longer…This is what I would like to call, "My final thoughts…"_

In that same instance Aquilis knew that it was one of Laguna's pieces. He could tell just by the tone of the letter that it was Laguna saying goodbye to the world. He hesitated a bit, but eventually, he neatly folded the letter twice and carefully put it in his shirt pocket. He wanted to finish reading what Laguna wrote but it would have to wait. He grabbed the machine gun and sorrowfully headed back to the hill where the rest of his men waited by their posts. 

Suddenly Aquilis heard a familiar voice calling out his name. "Lieutenant …Lieutenant Trepe…where are you going with my gun???"

Aquilis suspenseful turned around and saw Laguna running toward him. The now relived lieutenant grew happy and delighted. He felt his spirits rising up again with life. Even though he was happy to see Laguna's return, he wasn't about to let it show. 

"LAGUNA" Aquilis shouted, trying his best to sound angry. "Where the Hell did you run off to…Didn't I tell you to go to your post right away." 

"Ahh…Yes Sir…sorry Sir…I had to get something…"

Laguna saluted his lieutenant, grabbed his machine gun, and headed for the hill leaving Aquilis standing dazed and confused.

Laguna swiftly ran up the hill taking long strides and dove behind a huge bolder over looking the soon to be battlefield. 

As the rain continued to lightly drizzle, Laguna anxiously assembled his machine gun together. Because of his nervousness, he was having difficulty assembling it but after a few takes, his machine gun was in working order. He then laid on his stomach and crawled to the grassy edged of the hill to get aquatinted to this position in which he would do most his firing from. He wanted to make sure there was nothing blocking his way or obstructing him. As soon as a battle starts the only thing you can worry about is staying alive and killing the enemy; therefore there can be no distractions. 

Laguna then used the scope on his machine gun to get a closer look at the field, and to adjust his eyes to the green lens that the scope was made out of. 

Forgetting that the fog binoculars, which he retrieved earlier from the two dead lookouts was still hanging around his neck, he placed some of his ammo cartridges on a rubble of rocks beside him for easy access. 

After a few moments of staring at the empty field, Laguna looked down below to see his army in frenzy. People were still in a panic and he could hear General Caraway screaming at the top of his lungs at the lieutenants whose units and squads weren't properly organized and into position. This caused the scolded lieutenants to harshly yell at their soldiers because they were being yelled at.

At that moment Laguna felt glad that he had a good lieutenant. His squad was one of the first squads to be organized; this was only because Aquilis was a superb lieutenant who affectionately and authoritatively shouted his orders. Aquilis was the type of lieutenant who was strict, yet compassionate. Unlike most of the lieutenants that Galbadia had to offer, he, and a few others were the only ones who truly cared about their soldiers. There were times where he would even play tricks and pranks with his units. This showed his outgoing personality and friendliness. But when a situation arose, his unit knew that the fun and games were over and it was time to act professional. 

Aquilis always made sure that his men's post, which was picked out for them by the general, was safe and undetectable, regardless of what the general said. Aquilis was stern but he treated everyone with respect. Time and time again, he has risked his life to recover one of his wounded soldiers, or even their corpses, And for that, they all loved him; and they knew that he loved them back. 

Oddly enough, besides Captain Zedisius Dintch, who is the leader of the martial artist squad, Aquilis is the only lieutenant that Laguna has ever really seen talk and eat with the general. The general doesn't have many friends but you could tell that he and Aquilis have some sort of history together. The two of them share this unknown bond that no one else really knows about.

Laguna's thoughts now started to scramble throughout his brain. He thought about how unexpected it was for two battles to take place on the same day. "Why would they attack us again after they annihilated us just this morning. They can't hate us that bad." He just couldn't find any sense in it.

After sometime went by, all the soldiers finally seemed to be where they were supposed to be. A satisfied General Caraway grabbed his sword and marched toward the frontlines of his Galbadian army with his chest out, his head held high, and all eyes on him. He truly was a very distinctive young gentleman. As he got to the front, He raised his hand up to signal silence.

The silence reflected the beauty of the country's scenery. The sky kept its dark gray cloudy mood, which durably repelled its lightning and sprinkle of rain.

In a matter of moments, the beating of the drums could be heard approaching them. Everyone, including the general nervously and silently gazed at the other end of the field knowing what to expect but still frightened.

The tiny drops of rain that teasingly sprinkled on the earth started to gain some strength. A storm was coming. The raindrops now dampened Laguna's long brunette hair as he gripped his machine gun tightly trying to simmer down his shaking due to both the brisk chilly wind and his anxiety. 

The beats of the drums got closer and closer…Soon, the battering footsteps of the Timberians could be heard as they marched through the dark and foggy countryside. Thirty more seconds of tenseness took a hold of the Galbadians until finally, the heads of their enemies slowly appeared as they breached the horizon of the distant hill across the field. Soon their upper torso appeared…slowly forming into a body. 

Remembering the binoculars around his neck, Laguna placed his machine gun down on the rubble of rocks and without taking his eyes away from the approaching Timberians, he put the binoculars to his gazing eyes. 

"I knew these would come in handy." 

He carefully studied his enemies through the lenses.  **_"Hyne…It is the Timberians…and they look so…calm…"_**

Laguna had never seen so many soldiers so calm before a battle; even for the Almighty Timber Army. He saw the infamous drummer in the front that continued to pound terror in the hearts of many. The odd thing about them besides their astonishing calmness was their weapons; their weapons weren't even drawn. They still had them packed away in their sacks. 

"Hmmm…if they are coming to attack us…why aren't there weapons prepared???"

Laguna decided to pay no attention to the soldier's unusual actions. He tried to estimate how many of them there were. **_"10…20…30…40…50…89…huh…shit, I lost count. 10…20…30…40...89…190…275…300…300!!!" His tenseness subsided as he counted 300… He was relived…They only had 300 men in their army where he had 3000 in his._**

Eventhough this morning's battle taught him that odds doesn't matter, and it's the strategy that wins the war, Laguna couldn't help but wonder how the Galbadians could lose. It wasn't possible.

The General along with everyone else saw this uneven match up and they too felt relived. They felt death's shadow, which persistently followed them, run like a gutless coward as if he was running from himself…

This made General Caraway's doubts explode into extreme confidence. It caused him to change his defensive line up into an attacking line up.

 "OK EVERYONE…"the general happily proclaimed. "I'm gonna change the line up…I want men who has projectile weapons to stay on top of that hill…and my swordsmen and anyone else with a blade or an axe that think they could help me chop up these timberbacks, up front with me..." he ordered amusingly.

 The soldiers, whose fears disappeared at the sight of the small army, confidently did what they were told.

The general continued with his new line up of orders. "You there…yes you with the big harpoon and the bald head…pick up your gut and I want you to run over to my healing squad and protect them while they are casting curegas on us…I doubt that we'll need them but it's better to be safe than sorry…"

The general entertainingly watched the fat pudgy man actually grab his stomach and run over to the healing squad. With a smile on his face, the general shook his head in disbelief and continued with his orders. "The rest of you…I want you to follow behind us about 30 yards back and cast the biggest bliazagas, firagas and thundagas on those timberbacks…General Caraway didn't want to take these men lightly…Eventhough they could've easily been bulldozed without excessive force, He wanted to destroy them for what they did to him and his army this morning…Even if they weren't the exact same men, they represented the same army. "Oh and whatever you do, no meteors!!! Did you heard me…NO METERORS!!!" the general repeated not wanting to make the same mistakes twice.

General Caraway delightfully continued his pre war assurance. "Lieutenants…make sure you keep these men in order…Oh and you gunist up their." he said making sure he got everyone involved in his massacre against the Timber army. 

"After I give the order to attack, I want you to fire and throw everything you got at those sorceress lovers. You got that"

"YES SIR." Laguna and his fellow squad members simultaneously said.

The general gingerly turned back around toward the Timberians and grinned as his army got into their new positions.

Meanwhile, Laguna was feeling uneasy to this upcoming battle. _"Hyne this isn't right…" Laguna thought to himself. __"I should be the one down there with them…While I'm up here, Ward and Kiros are probably down there in the front lines…well maybe Kiros… I could've sworn I saw Ward making his way toward the healing squad."_

Eventhough the 300 Timberians were now close enough to be seen through the heavy fog, Laguna still used the binoculars. He liked them, so he continued to look through them unnecessarily. 

Laguna recounted the timberians, he wanted to make sure that this wasn't too good to be true. Again, he saw about 300 men. If that estimation was wrong it had to be around 270. He now looked at the men's faces and saw that their calm cool expressions were now in shock. They drew out their weapons and prepared for battle as if it were a moments notice.

This made Laguna think even more. "_At first they were so calm…so why all of a sudden do they look so terrified…hmm…this doesn't make any sense…hmm…hmm…Ouch!!! That hurts…hmm…well…"Laguna started to think theoretically.__  "Maybe they were calm because they didn't see us…and they didn't see us because they didn't know we were gonna be here…and now that they've seen us, they're terrified…so maybe this wasn't intentional…maybe they just accidentally ran into our campsite... Jeez" Laguna continually thought. __"Maybe I'm just wrong."_

Laguna continued to observe the timberians struggle to get into position. He decided not to pay any attention to the thoughts he just had and more attention to the power of the lenses in the fog binoculars. He liked anything that was created by Dr. Odin. He hoped one day, he would get the opportunity to meet him. He started pushing buttons not knowing what they did. Each time he pressed a button, he would look through the lenses to see what it did. He suddenly pressed a red button as he looked into the scope… 

"WOW!"…Laguna jumped back…he was amazed as to how strong the lenses were. He could've seen the pus in a pimple that was on the nose of a timberian solider…

"_Ahh man…these are way too cool… I don't think I'm going to be able to give these back to those two lookouts…I don't even think their going to need it…Hell I don't think that there're going to need their eyes…"_

Like a schoolboy, Laguna took his attention away from the upcoming battle that he obviously didn't have to worry about anymore and continued to look through the now intense binoculars. 

Laguna laughed as he looked at a far away hill and saw two ladybugs mating. After 59 seconds of peeking in on the exhausted ladybugs, he took it off them and looked at the hill next to it.

It was then and there that he saw it…he gasped in fright. "_OH MY HYNE…………………………………………………………..." he  was speechless…his thoughts were thoughtless "………………………" his heart raced with unimaginable fear and he could feel his bones being crushed by the tenseness of his body. There were more timberians coming from the west. And it looked like it was their entire garrison because there were about 10,000 of them, if not more. _

It was now evident to Laguna that the 300 timberians did not know that we were here. If the 300 timberians did, they wouldn't have separated themselves so far apart from their army of 10,000. Laguna quickly left his post and sought out his lieutenant.

Aquilis who was busy getting prepared for battle saw Laguna running toward him. He rolled his eyes in annoyance as he tried to fix his whip thrower. (a gun that could lash a whip out at great distances) "Laguna what the fuck are you doing…get back to your position right now…."

Breathing heavily Laguna ignored his order "Lieutenant Trepe, there are more timberians coming from the west…"

Disposition quickly took a hold of Aquilis's face. "What! Where?…"

"To the west Laguna repeated loudly!!!"

"I mean where to the west?"

"Over there on that hill." Laguna said as he pointed"

Aquilis looked hard. "I…I don't see anything."

"That's because they're far away deep in the fog…here use these…" Laguna quickly took the binoculars from around his neck and gave it to his lieutenant.

Aquilis held it out in front of him and studied it. "Where the hell did you get this?" 

"It was on one of the lookouts shoulders. I didn't think he would've needed it so I borrowed it from him…I was going to give it back but…

Aquilis shook his head as he looked through them. Aquilis kept the binoculars still and focused. Suddenly he gasped. "Damn-it…your right…these things are powerful…I could see two ladybugs going at it…"

Laguna's face felt like it weighed a ton. Aquilis didn't realize the severity of the situation. He snatched the binoculars out of his lieutenant's hands and looked at him with no emotion. "That's the wrong hill…SIR..." Laguna fixed the binoculars on the correct hill and gave it back to his lieutenant.

Again Aquilis looked through the binoculars. "Sweet mother of hyne" were the only words that escaped his lips.

"Yea I know…" Laguna agreed… "There are about 10,000 of them…"

The luietenat slowly took his eyes away from the binoculars and stared at Laguna with wide eyes. "You mean to tell me…that you actually sat there…and counted 10,000 of those tiny ants."

Laguna's eyes grew wide in frustration. He roughly grabbed his lieutenant by the arm and dragged him all the way to his post while Aquilis scolded him. 

"Laguna what the hell do you think your doing??? This is the second time today that someone has roughly grabbed my arm."

When they reached, Laguna once again gave him the binoculars and this time, he pointed toward the hill without saying a word. 

This gesture caught Aquilis's attention, so he decided to shut up and once again look through the lenses. This time around his face resembled death… He slowly muttered to himself  "Death's shadow has returned…and he had only gone away to bring back reinforcements…!!!…Laguna…" he said quietly. "there are thousands of them…thousands of timberian soldiers.."

"Yea that's what I've been trying to show you."

"sigh Ok…" Aquilis said trying to stay calm, but terror could still be detected in his voice. "Stay here… I'll go tell the general…We might have to talk peace with them if we all want to stay alive."

Aquilis got up quickly and ran through the bushes and down the hill toward the front of the Galbadian army where General Caraway stood clueless as to what was going on.

As Aquilis ran, the soldiers looked at him with wonder. He ran as if he knew something that they didn't. And it caused them to grow nervous once again.

"GENERAL…General Caraway." Aqulis yelled out of breath.

The general slowly turned around to see his friend running up to him. "Trepe?" The general sighed as he put his hands on his hips. "Lieutenant Aquilis Trepe, What the hell are you doing…why aren't you tending your post with your men?"

Aquilis bent down and put his hands on his knees trying to catch his breath. "Tom…puff…puff…there…there are more of them coming from the west."

"More of whom" the General asked baffled?

"Timberians!!!!"

The general was astounded. "WHAT!!!…" He stared at the ground in defeat.                        "H-how many more are coming???"

Aquilis picked his body back up into an upright position. "About 10,000 more are on their way." Aquilis stated regretfully "Not including the 300 men that's in sight right now" he added.

Some of the soldiers overheard their conversation and started to piss their pants. General Caraway angrily looked at the eavesdropping soldiers and then aggressively and grabbed Aquilis's now sore arm and dragged him away from everyone so no one else would hear.

General Caraway whispered in a loud voice "What do you mean 10,000 more are coming." He asked not waiting for an answer… "How far away are they from the army that is in front of us right now?"

"About a mile…"

"Fuck" the general continued to whisper loudly… "That Sky Strife is so fucking incredible…Put about 300 men in sight and stash away 10,000. So he makes us think we outnumber them and we attack… Then they bring out the real army and destroy us."

Aquilis looked at him in perplexity. "…Tom…maybe they didn't know we were here…maybe they didn't even plan this…"

"Hyne  Aquilis…don't be so fucking naive…he said irritated. "These Timberians know everything." General Caraway took a few steps back trying to get more air to hit his now overheated body.

"Tom think" Aquilis retorted in a loud whisper… "This doesn't make any sense…if what you say is true…Then why would they stash them so far away from the army  that we are seeing right now…if we attacked those 300 timberians, it would take them atleast 30 minutes for the army of 10,000 soldiers to give them aid…We would have annihilated them long before then…so you see, this was an accident. That old man was right we should've camped in the mountains."

The general's face now turned cherry red in rage but before he could speak Aquilis cut him off.

"We should choose our battles…and this one should be left alone. We should raise our white flags and let them pass…ALL of them."

General Caraway gazed at his friend for a moment, and then pointed his eyes to the 300 timberians on the other side of the field. "…You're right…You're absolutely right Aqulis. They probably didn't have any idea we were here."

"…….Of course I'm right." Aqulis answered suspiciously… "So we should raise our white flags right???"

"Wrong…" The general spoke diabolically. "We'll use it as our advantage."

"Use what as our advantage…" Aquilis asked bewildered.

"Listen dear friend…Since they didn't have any idea that we were here… then the army of 10,000, who hasn't arrived here, has no idea that their men of 300 up front are in danger…and since you said it would take them atleast 30 minutes to get up here…"

"That's if they walk…" Aquilis added not wanting any gaps left open. "If they run then it will be 15" 

"But like you said…"

"Wait wait wait" Aquilis said shaking his head in protest. "Like I said…LIKE I SAID…don't try using my opinions as the basis for your plan…so later on if it doesn't work, or if something goes wrong you could blame it on me like you tried to blame this morning's lost on those lieutenants. I'm not going to be responsible for the lives of this army…that's your job Remember. You're the one who wanted this. You're the one who went against your father's wishes AND mine to be a general…We both told you that you weren't ready and that you were rushing into things…but no…you were too hyne damn stubborn to listen to us…You had to be the youngest general that ever lived right…Tchh…I just followed you because I promise your father that I would make sure nothing happened to you."

"Ok..ok..ok." the Caraway said in a compromising tone… "I know my responsibilities and I understand the faults of my impatience about being a general…but right now, I have to focus on matters at hand. And that's dealing with these Timberians…" General Caraway smiled. "I now also believe that they didn't know that we were here, and since they had no clue, there wouldn't be any reason for them to run…So like I was saying…We would then have 30 minutes to kill their army of 300 before the army of 10,000 arrive…"

Aquilis tried to speak but General Caraway read his mind and answered his question before he could ask "And once we've destroyed the 300 timberians…we will hide in the cave where we had that meeting and the rest of the soldiers could hide in the forest…" Caraway kept his smile. "Looks like I've outsmarted the great Sky Strife huh..."

Aquilis look at the general coldly. "…You'll never change will you…"

"Ahh come-on old friend…didn't we have this conversation already…and plus… This is war…people are suppose to be killed."

Aquilis lost his cool at the General's words… "Yes that's true but I don't wanna die because some man's pride wont allow him to surrender at times of need!!!………For hyne's sake Tom I have a baby girl on the way…I can't let her grow up without a father…"

Caraway placed his hands on his friend's shoulder and stared at him without blinking. "Then don't Aquilis…don't die…now get back to your position…we have 30 minutes."

Laguna looked at the thousands of Timberians approach, undetected by everyone else; Who were relaxed and confident of victory. Laguna waited for the general to sound a retreat…but it didn't come. 

Just then, lieutenant Aquilis Trepe returned to the hill and sadly walked with his head to the ground as he made his way toward Laguna's post.

Laguna excitingly turned around to face him. "Lieutenant…I saw the two of you talking down there…didn't you tell him."

There was no answer. Aquilis was deep in thought and he disregarded Laguna's question.

Laguna looked at him worriedly. He knew something was wrong but he didn't want to come right out and ask what it was. "General???…" Laguna softly said.

"Yes…yes I did…"Aquilis replied before Laguna could finish speaking.

Laguna contorted his face in a confused expression. "Then why hasn't he ordered a retreat yet?" he asked unaware of the conversation that was shared between the two.

While scratching his head, Aquilis answered nonchalantly. "He's still going to try and attack the army." 

"What!!!" Laguna was in total shock. Didn't you tell him that there are more coming???"

"Yea" Aquilis sighed with fatigued. He hopes that we could kill them all before the ones coming from the west arrives…"

Laguna looked around at his fellow soldiers who were unaware as to what was going on. The nonchalant attitude that Aquilis had also rubbed off on Laguna.

"Hyne…that's cutting it kinda close there don't you think Sir?" Laguna said casually without looking at his Lieutenant.

"Yea…sigh…yea we are cutting kind of close huh…" Aquilis said in a defeated non-caring tone. "But that's just the way he is… he has always been this way." 

Aquilis's blunt and emotionless tone made Laguna nervous about his lieutenant's well being. He feared that this might be the last conversation they would share.

"Lieutenant…are you all right???"

Aquilis looked away. He focused his eyes on a rabbit that playfully ran across the soon to be battlefield. "Yea…yea I'm all-right…just a bit tired ya know…" 

Laguna shook his head and also gazed at the rabbit. "Yea…I know."

Aquilis shook himself out of his hypnotized state and stared at Laguna. "Hey guna… do me a favor…" 

Laguna's eyes started to mysteriously grow distressed with tears as he continued to watch the playful rabbit. He knew what was coming next  "What do you need sir?"

"If I don't make it out of here alive…" 

"What do ya mean if you don't make it out alive…you always make it out alive…Laguna said cutting him off."

"Yea I know but… but I have a feeling that…" Aquilis paused… "Look just give this to my baby girl for me…she's not born yet but she will be soon." Aquilis reached out and handed him a locket. "It's a picture of me and her mother…Ha…this is kinda embarrassing but when we were stationed in Dollet a few days ago, I was able to get a silversmith to engrave a message on it for me…Aquilis's eyes now started to congest with tears. So that's why I chose you to give it to her.  I know that you're an honorable, trustworthy and humble man. And you would never allow yourself to read it before my daughter does so…you're probably gonna have to hold on to it for sometime until she can read. But don't give it to Pesilis though ha ha ha…" he chuckled sadly. "She wouldn't be able to help herself from reading it.

Laguna hesitantly and reluctantly took the locket from his lieutenant/friend's hand. He was Afraid that this would make Aquilis feel like he didn't have to fight to stay alive anymore. 

"I'll give it to her under one condition…you have to promise me that you will fight your hardest on that battlefield."

Aquilis smiled. "For you, my wife and my little girl…I will… oh and Just remember to stay focus ok…we will have to tear this army up in 30 minutes or less so don't go wasting time by writing something down." He said jokingly.

He turned around and smiled as he walked away patting his shirt pocket.

Laguna laughed as he put the binoculars back to his eyes. Suddenly reminded of his letter. "Oh shit…My Letter…Jeez…it looks like I'm going to have to make it through this battle so I can write another one."

Before Aquilis could get back to his post, Laguna called for him once again.

"Hum…Ssir…ahhh…"

Aquilis turned around to see Laguna looking through the binoculars again. "What is it this time…?"

"Let's make it 15 minutes…"

"Huh???" Aquilis asked in confusion.

"One of the men just hopped on a chocobo and is riding at full speed toward the army of 10,000…it looks like he's going to tell them that we are here and they need aid."

"Oh shit…we are fucked…Aquilis said amusingly without caring anymore. "This day just keeps getting better and better…first we loose a battle this morning, then I had to sit through a boring meeting, then my arm gets sore because everyone feels the need to roughly grab it, then I get into a fight with the General, and now we are being attacked by a million men. Ha ha ha…What a fucking day… I'm already exhausted and the battle hasn't even begun yet…Ok I gotta go back and tell the General…keep at your post…"

"Yes sir…"

Aqulis quickly dashed down the hill and toward the frontlines as Laguna kept his sights and his fears on the rider that rode to awaken the beast of an army to feed on him and his comrades.

As aquilis ran through the bushes, he heard the general making his usual pre war speech. A speech that he always made before each battle.

"Listen up men…. Everyone silence…I want your attention…"The General of the Galbadian army yelled.

All was quiet except for the serenade of the light rain and the roll of the heavy thunder. This duet of nature created a symphony that emphasized the emotions of the general's speech. It caused his words to come to life and become more influential and heart pounding.

"I once read this book about a man…he was from a distant land called Celtland. A land that was being ruled by another country named Britannia…" General Caraway now started to pace back and fourth with both hands behind his back as the raindrops started to fall heavier. "Now both these countries names have changed we now know them as Balamb and Galbadia…but back then… the celts (Celtland) and the brits (britania) were at war…there was a young boy who lost his father and brother to this same war…at their burial, a young girl comforted him with a flower that she picked for him. He loved this girl from that day on…there wasn't a day that passed that he didn't think of her… after the burial, his uncle took him away from his home and taught him how to read, and fight. Many years later, he returned to his homeland a humble man. He wanted to build a nice home and marry the young girl that gave him comfort when no one else could. When he finally found her, he courted her. But Because of the war that still existed between the Celts, and Brits, he decided that he would marry her in secret. He didn't want to give her up to the brits the night of her wedding, which was a law that the ruler of Britania cruelly established to cause the celts to have britainan blood in them.

After the secret wedding, a few days went by. When a britananian solider tried to rape this same humble man's bride. Fortunately the young man was they're to protect her but as they tried to escape she got caught and was killed. The man who has hated the brits for the death of his brother and father now snapped. They had taken his only comfort since the death of his father and brother. Now he and a few rebels have waged war on the entire country. He and a small rebel against an entire army. General Caraway repeated. "But its unfortunate that this humble man who led them to freedom wasn't there to enjoy it. Cause you see, he was captured and was given the option to die quickly by renouncing his cause or die by torture…he chose to die violently…As they tore his body to threads…the people realized the cause was worth so much more than his life…So you see men…its ok to die…as long as its for a reason…as long as its for something that's worth it. This man died because he didn't want another boy to lose everything he loved like he did…Despite the fact that he was up against incredible odds he still came out on top…You are fighting for the same freedom…you're fighting for the annihilation of sorceresses everywhere. You aren't just fighting for yourself…your fighting for everything that has or will be taken away from you or your people…your fighting for honor…

The soldiers were confused. They didn't seem to find any revelence from this story to the battle that they were facing. But Laguna and Aquilis did. Usually General Caraway made the same boring speech about the life of cloud strife but this speech was way more intense. He made it seem like they were up against 50 thousand men instead of just three hundred. The galbadians knew that the general knew something they didn't but due to circumstances, they couldn't pay it any attention. They had to stay focused on the battle.

Before Lieutenant Aquilis could reach General caraway, he yelled an order.

ATTACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Author's notes: 

Hey I hoped you liked this verse… if you didn't realize it yet, chapter 1 mainly deals with the beginning and how everything happened in ff8. This is the 2nd to last verse in chapter 1 so soon, the plot will pick up in Episode 2 and all its verses  (chapter 2) 

Well…hmm…I hope I get a review?…please if you are reading this story, please leave a review…so far I got like 4 reviews and 4 reviews isn't worth all the trouble that I go through in bringing this story alive…Reviews are like my fuel and if I don't get enough I will run out and stop working so if you either like or hate my story please review and tell me so at least I know people are reading my story. If each person does his/her own part and gives a review, I'm sure I'd be satisfied to continue with this epic.


	4. Chapter 1: verse 4 The Braveheart

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                          *~*~* Chapter 1 verse 4:The Braveheart *~*~*

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The three thousand Galbadian soldiers simultaneously took in a deep breath…and together let out a vociferous war cry. "**AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH**."

With weapons drawn, they charged the damp fields with pride and dignity. Their eyes set on destroying the small army before them. The wind and rain now started to fall with anger and potency. Lightning flashed and the roll of the thunder made the earth quake. The storm was here.

The galbadians hearts were pumping with adrenaline and great intensity as they heavily made there way toward the fragile army of the three hundred timberians. Like wild dogs on the hunt for fresh meat their swords were watering for blood. Not knowing the dangers that lay ahead, the galbadians formulated their own storm ready to cast it upon the timberians. 

Fifty yards back on the other end of the field were the 300 Timberian soliders, who stood still and calm as the 3000 Galbadians rushed toward them in full force. 

The Timberians felt utter sympathy for them. They pitied them. They knew that the Galbadians didn't have a chance of survival. They knew that the Galbadians didn't have a clue as to the trap that they were running into. A trap that was orchestrated by none other, than the great Sky Strife, who has once again, fooled General Caraway.

General Caraway, who never usually took the lead in a charge, decided to make an exception just this once. He was convinced that he and his men could easily wipe out this small army before the bigger army came to help. Hell, even if their bigger army ran at full speed to catch up, he still was positive that he and his army had more than enough time to incapacitate this diminutive army, and take their belongings as well as their pride. 

As General Caraway continued to run with grace and glory, a sudden look of scurrility was planted on his face. He could sense that something was wrong. For some peculiar reason, the Timberians didn't budge or flinch. They just stood still as he and his men stormed toward them.

"Why arent they moving???…what are they thinking???…Don't they see us??? Don't they know that we are coming for them???…"

Feeling uneasy, General Caraway abruptly stopped as his army of 3000 soldiers continued to stampede toward the timberians.

He looked around not paying any attention to his men as they unintentionally ran passed him. His full attention was on the 300 Timberians who remained motionless. He stared at them trying to figure out what the hell it was they were up to.

After a few seconds of contemplation, it finally hit him. He was tricked. Once again, the great Sky Strife's extraordinary strategic war plans were as flawless and precise as ever.

General Caraway inhaled a massive amount of air into his lungs, and screamed it out in words using all the muscles in his stomach… "**AMBUSH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"**

Suddenly, the wet green pastures beneath the running soldier's feet began to slowly move. The galbadian soldiers stopped running and stood still as dreadfulness took over their bodies.

 At first, everyone thought it was an earthquake, but then, they noticed that only certain spots moved on the damp ground. 

All of a sudden, Without any warning, large strips of grass and soil expeditiously flew out of the ground, revealing foxholes. The Galbadians frantically looked around petrified and startled as they saw hundreds and hundreds of Timberian soldiers sprouting out of the dark damp holes with weapons out and sour glares. 

This was a down right shock for the galbadian soldiers. They had no idea that the timberians would've dug holes and planted their soldiers into the ground. Then instead of covering up the "seeds" with soil, they used a cloth-like material camouflaged to look like grass.

In a split second, all of the groundhogged timberians emerged out of their burrows, and all 2000 of them formed a half-circle around the galbadians, disabling them from escape.  They cunningly left an open gap in the circle for their 300 timberians that remained motionless to attack. 

Each and every Galbadian soldier's heart pounded almost through his chests. the galbadians fearfully looked upon the clever Timberian soldiers with a look of disbelief. Eventhough they didn't understand what on Atlantis was going on, they knew that soon, there would be no hope for their bodies to have life in them.

Shortly after that, they heard an abundant amount of footsteps galloping towards them about 50 yards ahead. The sound was of the three hundred Timberian soldiers who were now running toward them.

The Galbadian army turned around to flee but weren't able to because of the 2000 Timberians who had priorly submerged out of the ground and formed a human roadblock; 

It was then that General Thomas Caraway saw it. He saw the eyes of every Galbadian solider looking at him in wonder as to what do. Time seemed timeless at that very moment. Everything moved in slow motion. The general was in complete shock and clueless on what he should do or say. He couldn't even hear anything. He only heard the battering of his relinquishing heartbeat.

General Caraway looked at the three hundred-men rushing toward his army; and for the first time ever, he was actually in the army. He was one soldier amongst the many that would loose their lives. He knew that it was too late to talk peace but he couldn't find the strength to pick up his weapon and go down fighting. He was just too dispirited and astonished.

The General slowly fell to his knees as a teardrop fell from the eyes of a young Galbadian solider. This teardrop seemed to be linked with Gen. Caraway. It represented everything General Caraway was and felt at that moment. They were doomed and they all knew it. There was nothing or no one that could've helped them now.

General Caraway stood on his knees with his head down waiting for the fatal blow. As he felt the presence of the 300 Timberians closing in, he could also hear the arrival of the 10,000 timberians close by. He didn't even bother to look up. He just kept his head down and excepted his defeat.

Suddenly, a hand was placed on his shoulder. He looked up with tears in his eyes to see his old friend Aquilis Trepe smiling down at him. In Aquilis's left hand he held a sword, and in his right hand, he held his friend as he helped him get back on his feet. 

Before Aquilis could talk, General Caraway held his head down in shame and slowly, and softly spoke.

 "Sniff…sniff…you know…ha. You should have been the general… you know that right???…" General Caraway picked his head back up and forced a smile on his face. "…You had all the qualities that were needed for the job…sniff…you had the smarts…the strength…the…loyalty…and the…the soldiers love and respect…"

Aquilis smiled pleasantly as he shook his head. "No…oh hyne no Thomas…you were the better general…you were always able to taught people into anything…hell, if you can taught president Vinzer into letting a 22 year old become the general of a huge army…then I'm more than sure that you can definitely taught a couple of brave soldiers into being like that humble man that you were talking about in your speech…to be something that mattered…to be honored through death. 

There were a few moments of silence. Eventhough the sounds of the rampaging timberians were nearer, The two old friends stood still as if they were the eye. The eye of the storm that their soldiers had formulated. While the soldiers around them were in chaos, They were at peace. 

"…You know tom…you were right… about that general Sky Strife…stash away thousands of soldiers and leave a little out in the open as bait." 

General Caraway smiled, as tears fell "…No…not this time…I know what your trying to do and it's not gonna happen…I'm not going to put this on you…this isn't your fault…"

"But I told you that they…"

"No General Caraway intervened…you told me your opinion…you didn't give an order…that's my job…this is my fault…I should've done what you said and raised our white flag a long time ago…and plus, how were you to know that he had about 2000 men already hidden in the battlefield…sniff… I now know that he purposely set it up so we could've seen those 10,000 men in the rear…hell…he probably had someone shoot the two lookouts who had to have seen something." 

_"And those binoculars" Aquilis thought to himself while General caraway continued to speak. "__No galbadians buys any Odin brand items because Dr. Odin is from Esther and Esther and Timber are allies…"_

"And he knew me…" general Caraway continued. "…he knew that I had too much pride to back down…he knew that I would've attacked his 300 seemingly defenseless men only if he showed me that his bigger army was far, far away. Then that's when the hidden soldiers in the ground comes in the picture…once we charged they would've then emerged and barricaded us in the field like their doing right now, so that the bigger army could catch up and destroy us all… so you see…its not your fault…I don't think there is anyone who could win against general sky strife…"

Both men turned away from each others gazed and placed there eyes on the rushing men. General Caraway's body was now relaxed and calm. He wasn't afraid anymore. He was with his best friend and he never had to be scared when he was with him. Even though he knew that he couldn't protect him from all those raging men, he still felt safe.

"You know what Thomas…eventhough you could be a real asshole sometimes you're my best friend…and I love you for what you said…when you told your speech to those soldiers about my father, for the first time in a while I felt proud…I've always wanted to have his strength and his braveheart. Maybe this is my chance…maybe this is my opportunity to follow in my fathers footsteps…my opportunity to also have a braveheart.

With that, Aquilis looked at his friend one last time. He gracefully raised his sword into the air while he stared at his friend. The Galbadians along with Laguna and a helpless Caraway watched Aquilis charge toward the timber army. He didn't even once hesitate or look back to see if anyone would follow. wanting to set an example, he held his head up high and charged toward the charging Timberians with honor and a braveheart.

No one saw exactly what happened to Aquilis, but while he single handedly fought off the hundreds of Timberian soldiers, he was slowly swallowed up into the mob of men.

This was a proud moment for the galbadians. Even the timberians that stood still in a half circle were moved by this soldier's actions.

The galbadians were now filled with integrity. They all raised their weapons into the air in remembrance of their beloved Lieutenant Aqulis Trepe who showed them the way. They finally figured out the meaning in General Caraway's story.

Now with weapons in the air, the General of the Galbadian army shouted an order as tear bled through his eyes. **ATAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK**!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Everyone, including General Caraway held their heads high and rushed the 300 running timberians also with pride and honor.

Soon carnage was taken its place upon the battlefield. The now 2999 galbadians were over powering the 300 timberians and soon, the 2000 timberians that surrounded them earlier had to join in and help fight off the Galbadians.

The 10,000 Timberian soliders who observed the battle on the hill ran down to joined the efforts in eliminating the entire galbadian fleet.

What should have been an easy task wasn't as easy anymore. Because of 

Aquilis's Brave actions, it influenced the hearts of the galbadians and caused them to inflict twice the amount of damage one timberian can inflict.

The healers and magicanist now also ran toward the battlefield in haste to aid the galbadians.

            Bombs suddenly started to explode on the battlefield causing a huge tidal wave of dirt, grass and body parts into the air. 

Without any warning, flaming balls of meteor was casted, destroying 2/3's of the galbadian army. 

As he saw their bodies disintegrating in pain, his heart began to beat uncontrollably. 

With sadness in his eyes, he looked on from behind a small boulder up on a hill as he watched his fellow comrades down below, get chopped up like vegetables by the Timberian Army. What really caused his heart to bleed was what he saw his lieutenant do. He now knew that he had to stay alive so he could give the now priceless locket to Aquilis's unborn daughter.

The rain showered the earth with an immense amount of intensity as if it were trying to purify the blood, which was being spilled on the battlefield. 

The roaring soldiers used their hands to manipulate their weapons into the bodies of their foes. With each impact of force that was either produced by steel, or flesh, lightning struck simultaneously with power and authority.

Big and strong Men, all fearless and athletic, bellowed in pain like babies as sharp jagged objects penetrated their skin. Both sides were being stabbed, bashed, and cut in half left and right. 

The gruesomness of it all caused his stomach to churn. With difficulty and shaky hands, he picked up the clip that was in his pouch and carefully loaded it into his machine gun. He was afraid, he wasn't a killer like the rest of them; He was a writer. He didn't want to kill anyone; he just joined the army because he thought that he could write about his adventures as a Galbadian solider.

He looked up at the heavy dark gray clouds of the rainy sky and took in a deep breath. His rapid heartbeat now started to slow down and beat with containment. 

He then abruptly rose from his laying position from behind the bolder and fired with rage…"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh."

His body jerked back and forth violently as he pressed the trigger. The glares in his eyes were fierce yet; remorse could be detected in them. His adrenaline pumped up with excitement as The Timber army pumped up with bullets…

…5…6…7 men shook back and forth in pain as the burning hot bullets tore through their skin and laid to rest in their bodies that would eventually cause their bodies to lay to rest in the ground. 

The battlefield was literally a bloody mess. The Galbadian soldiers continuously fought against the thousands of Timberian soldiers with their Leader, General Thomas Caraway, at the head of his army.

 "Come one men. Push forward." General Caraway shouted "LET'S DO THIS FOR AQUILIS."

"NO…We have to retreat…There's just too many of them." a foot soldier yelled back with plea.

Caraway knew that he was right. But his stubbornness kept him from giving in. "Look men, Aquilis gave his life to this fucking army…he showed us how to be a revolutionist…so lets show him that he didn't die in vain…Now everybody…grip your weapons tighter than the tightest pussy you have ever felt, and CHAAARRGE"

With encouragement from their leader, the men charged the front lines of the Timber army. It was a very brave moment. The odds, which were heavily against them, didn't matter. They were sent here to annihilate these timberbacks and they were going to do that.

The men charged with all sorts of weapons. From the mightiest sword that dismantled a limb, to the stinging of a whip that stole the skin from a body as it struck. From the most powerful magic that caused a soldier's body to deteriorate from either thunder ice or fire, to the weakest items that either encouraged or took away a soldier's HP.  Daggers, harpoons, axes and old-modeled gun-blades were also used to plunderized the bodies of soldiers.

He continued to pull on the trigger releasing bullets that pulled on the enemy's life force. 

Each bullet told a story. 

One of the bullets told the story of a widow, who will mourn the death of her husband for the next 2 months, and will harden her heart to love only because her husband was taken away from her by a bullet.

Another bullet that was fired tells a story about a young girl who will cry to her mother for her daddy because she doesn't understand why he hasn't returned home yet, not knowing that her father is dead because he was shot in war.

He kept shooting, creating sad stories with his bullets; but he had to. He had to because he didn't want to be the main character in his sad story.

…CLICK…CLICK…CLICK...

With puzzlement, he looked down at his machinegun to see that the clip was empty. He looked back up toward the battlefield and an expression of relief took over his face. He spotted one of his friends fighting in the distance with a Timberian solider. Ever since the battle started he and his two other friends were separated and he was worried sick.

His friend was kicking his opponent's ass. The trigger conscious machine gunist looked on from the hill with a proud look. Suddenly, he noticed another Timberian solider creeping up from behind his copper skinned friend with a large axe in hand. He quickly yelled out his name…

"KIROS…KIROS…LOOK OUT BEHIND YOU!!!"

The clashing of the swords and the fall of the rain caused Kiros's ears to be deafened to his friend's warnings.

He didn't know what to do. He quickly returned his hand into his pouch and searched for another clip. But he remembered that he placed them on the ruble of rocks. The pressure of knowing that in a few seconds, Kiros's head would be removed by the axe made him clumsy. As he went for the cartridges, he accidentally made all of them fall in-between the rubble of rocks. "Hyne-damnit"

While this was going on, Kiros who was too busy fighting to notice that death was only a few steps behind him, was having a ball with the solider he was fighting. Kiros always loved a good fight. He also too wasn't a killer but he did what he had to and enjoyed it while he was doing it.

Laguna quickly bent down to pick up the cartridge that fell in between the cracks of rocks. 

"Ahhhh shit" He now dropped his machine-gun so it would be easier to pick up the heavy rocks in haste. Finally, with success, he removed enough rocks to be able to reach his hand in and grab one of the cartridges. He picked his machine gun back up and loaded it in the clip. 

The sneaky Timberian solider was now in range with Kiros's head and he cocked his dreadful axe back.

At this same moment, the nervous Laguna behind the boulder also cocked his gun back and took aim

Right before the timberian solider could swing his axe, a pile of shots rang out…BLLLLLAAAAAAT…With fury, the pack of bullets left the machine gun and hunted down the head of the sneaky timberian …SPLAT…His head exploded with a revolting splatter. 

Laguna tightly closed his eyes wide shut as he tried to turn away from the carnage that he inflicted upon the soldier's head.

This happened two seconds before Kiros plunged his katal into his opponent's heart and quickly turned around to see what was the commotion that was going on behind him. 

He saw an axe on the floor, and 4 ft away from it, he saw a solider, who's head was wide open exposing a stack of bullets that was stuck in his brain. 

Kiros looked up to where he heard the shots fired. He concentrated on the figure up on the hill then suddenly smiled. "LAGUNA" he yelled as he waved to his friend showing his gratitude. Laguna smiled back and returned the gesture.

Laguna went back to work. He continued to fire his mini daggers at the Timber army while he scoped out the rest of battlefield looking for his other friend, Ward. 

He glanced at the healing squad because he remembered the general telling a man with a harpoon to pick up his gut and protect them, so he figured it must have been Ward.

 Bodies fell to the earth like the tears that fell from the clouds. The battle continued for an agonizing 15 more minutes when suddenly the almighty Timber army started to increase even more. Timber soldiers who shied away in their foxholes and behind bushes now suddenly grew confident and emerged out to join the battle. 

The Galbadian Soliders who were heavily outnumbered started to panic.

They were being transmogrified into a huge fountain, rapidly spilling blood.  

The Timber army started to rush in with grace and glory as the galbadians slowly backed up in their doom. 

The dark gray sky lit up with beauty as lightning struck, while the damp green earth, lit up with a red glow as the blood stained the grass.

"Everybody fall back," General Caraway shouted…

"Fall back you crazy motherfuckers" another voice cried out from the distance 

"ARGGGGGGHHH…HELP…ME…UGHH…"Another voice cried out in pain but was silenced abruptly due to a knife that was driven through his throat. 

Hearing this made Laguna's senses grow nervous. By now, the Timber army was advancing rapidly and soldiers from Galbadia seized there fighting and started running toward the forest in a retreat.                

Seeing this, Laguna quickly picked up his machine gun and dashed strait across the field toward the forest. As he ran, he felt bombs of fire being casted upon him, chasing him as if he was its prey. His heart started to pound in fear and doubt. 

Eventhough he was the type of man who believed in positive thinking, he knew that the likelihood of him making it through this battle alive was a 99.9% chance that he wouldn't.

How he wished that he still had his lost gun-blade with him. If he did, he was convinced that he wouldn't be running like this, instead, he'd be charging. Laguna regretted the fact that he took on Kiros's And Ward's dare, which took place a few days earlier at Deiling city, which was to enter the tomb of the unknown kings and try to conquer the Brothers. In his efforts, he was attacked by a monster and severely wounded. He inadvertently dropped his gun-blade while trying to escape out of the tomb and tried to go back in to retrieve it. However Lieutenant Aquilis feared for his safety and told General Caraway to order him not to go back in. 

So now he was equipped with a machine gun. Eventhough it was powerful, it was no gun-blade.

As the explosions of Firaga, and Blizzaga flirtatiously combusted at his feet, he knew that it would only be a matter of time before these magical castations would give him a direct hit…BOOOMB…The sound of death chased the innocent. 

Beneath his feet were the bodies of both Galbadian and Timberian soldiers. He even saw the rabbit laying dead that he and Aquilis were looking upon earlier. He couldn't help but look down as he ran. He knew that in only a few moments, his body would join the sea of corpses that were laid upon the ground. 

Laguna witnessed mutilation first hand that day. Ligaments were viciously torn away from their bodies; and severed heads were removed sloppily from their necks still with fat and muscle hanging out of it. 

Up ahead, Laguna saw a Timberian Soldier screaming painfully and crying tears of blood due to the tip of a dagger, which was sticking out of his left eye. Evidently, someone must have viciously attacked him from behind, and with force, stabbed him in the back of his head causing the tip of the blade to come out to the front of his head through his eyes.

Laguna was intensified at such a sight. He could've almost imagined how much pain this poor man was in. Laguna was too much of a kind and generous man, to leave him behind so he stopped to help him, Even knowing that this was his enemy. 

Laguna quickly bent forward to lift him up over his back. But as soon as he could grab him, he started to convulse and shake violently. His mouth foamed white juices and his eyes blinked rapidly due to the blade that was sticking out of it. 

As he shook and grimaced in pain, Laguna was confused and wasn't sure as what he should do. He tried to hold his body still but it was like trying to stop a freight train with your left hand. 

Suddenly, his shaking and convulsions came to a halt; and so did the blinking of his eyes, which just stared at Laguna with sorrow in a juice mixed with tears and blood. 

Laguna was happy to see this… _"Good…he stopped shaking…Now I could lift him up and take him wit me…" _

Laguna bent forward again ready to scoop him up, but he noticed that the severed eye that was blinking in pain earlier never blinked again. Infact, even his good eye never blinked. Sadly he studied him for a few more seconds with remorse and continued to run to the forest.

 The final expressions that were left on the lifeless, expired faces lying on the red grass were of pain and agony. The dead Bodies around him had a repulsive odor of decay due to the fact that the natural gases that were once enclose in their bodies, had now escaped through the open gashes that was left by the fatal weapons and lethal magic. 

His legs started to cramp as he made his way toward the dark forest. This always happened to him whenever he was scared or nervous. 

With his cramped leg now slowing him down, and the hundreds of firagas and blizagas being casted upon him. He knew that there was no way in hyne's name that he was going to make it to the forest alive. Atleast there was no way that he could've.

But he felt a mysterious force embrace his body like a womb embracing an unborn child. It was a delicate yet strong force that felt like a thousand feathers gently caressing his body. A power so strong that it made him glow a white aura causing his enemy's to gasp in fear. 

A type of power that only a sorceress would posses….???

Author's notes:

            Ok Finally…We are at the end of chapter 1…I hope you guys are ready for chapter 2!!! I wont spoil it but your gonna be surprised at the end of the first verse.

            Oh and please leave a review…even if you have reviewed my story before, I love hearing from you guys so don't be shy…I write this for u guys and in return, I hope you write me back and give me your thoughts on it…Remember, I do accept flames, I'm probably the only author on fanfic.net that wants it…criticism can only improve my writing and trust me, you wont hurt my feelings… so go ahead and tryJ So please give me a review and don't use being lazy for an excuse cause remember, if I don't end up with enough reviews, ill be soo sad and disappointed and I'll probably kill myself which means there would be no more chapters or verses and in my suicide letter I'll ask my brother To take my story off the web…

P.S.- I was just joking about that last part…you know, the part where I said I'd ask my brother to take the story off the web …I'd probably do it myself firstJ Well bye for now and remember, keep the reviews coming like my life depended on it…cause it doesJ


	5. Chapter 2: verse 1 The Conception of a s...

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**_CHAPTER 2: VERSE 1-    THE CONCEPTION OF TWO BROTHERS_**

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Laguna swiftly and anxiously ran deeper and deeper into the dark dreary forest as the sounds of war and its explosions gradually became more silent than a whisper. In that moment in time, his only goal was to get as far away from death's playground as possible. Even though he was well away from any serious danger, he still sustained his expeditious speed. He wanted to insure his own safety. He was tired of war. He didn't want to participate in it anymore. That's probably the reason why he ran so hard and fast. He wanted to keep it as far behind him as possible so that it would only exist in his past.

Usually, no man in his right mind would enter Timber's somber forest alone, but Laguna would have to make an exception just this once. Besides, this kind of thing wasn't new for him. After all, he did enter the tomb of the unknown kings alone; and it was willingly. 

Despite the fact that no one has ever really had a substantial reason for fearing Timber's grim forest, everyone stayed well away from it. I guess in its case, looks could kill, and Timber's forest looked like a murderer. It was a dark ember that resembled a place where demons would roam.

After an hour of running non-stop, Laguna's stubborn body finally gave up and collapsed unto a damp pile of leaves.

He lay there breathing heavily with his mouth wide open and his eyes staring up at the tall trees that solemnly looked down below him. It finally hit him. He made it. He couldn't believe it but by some sort of miraculous twist of fate, he was still alive; unfortunately, no one was around to witness it.

Laguna struggled with his tired body to sit himself up, but his uncontrollable breathing caused his body to become temporarily paralyzed; his breath wanted to catch up with his raging heart rate before any other movements could be made. 

As Laguna laid in the soft pile of the wet leaves, for the first time since he started his retreat, he realized that the storm was over. It was because of his intense perseverance why he didn't notice. He was running like water. Come to think of it, he didn't remember noticing anyone else being the forest.

Little tiny droplets of water that initially fell from the sky and unto the trees, lost its grip on the leaves and branches, and fell down on Laguna's face. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the sensation of the ice-like liquids dissolving onto his warm face. It felt good to feel something other than pain. 

Laguna lay there exhausted. He patiently waited for his heavy breathing to come to a steady pace. His chest was burning as the cool breeze quickly entered his flaring nostrils and the muscles in his cramped leg ached for relief. 

After a few minutes and a few attempts, Laguna was finally able to sit-up in an upright position. His breathing was now serenading simultaneously with his heartbeat which ultimately, enabled his body to relax. 

Disregarding the wet leaves that he sat in, he slowly looked around the forest for any movements. _"I wonder where every body is ??? I could've sworn that we all retreated in this forest???"  Suddenly, his thoughts reminded him of his friends. __"UUHH…Kiros!!! Ward!!!" Laguna quickly leaped up from the scattered blanket of leaves and quickly turned his head in every direction. "KIROS!!! WARD!!!" he yelled. His relaxed body now grew tensed and nervous in efforts to match his thoughts._

            "KIROS…???…WARD…???…" He shouted again as he waited for an answer. Unfortunately, all was silent except for the rustling of the fallen leaves that innocently played around in the cool autumn breeze. Laguna tried once more, this time he cuffed both his hands around his mouth and used all the muscles in his stomach to give his howlings more range. "**WARD…KIROS…ARE YOU GUYS HERE???"**

            Once again the colorful swaying leaves taunted him with sounds other than voices. _"That's weird…" He thought to himself.__ "I could've sworn I seen over 200 of us retreat in the forest…So Where in hyne's name did they all go…???…hmm…I must've made a wrong turn…"_

Laguna brushed his armor free of all the dirt and leaves and then used his eyes to absorb his surroundings. All he saw were thousands and thousands of tall thick trees that looked to be around 500 years old. The forest floor was filled with layers and layers of dirt, leaves and twigs that cryptically hid tiny insects and small creatures. Luckily however, there were no monsters or creatures in sight that craved human flesh.

_"I wonder what time it is???" Laguna looked up and tried to pierce his eyes through the canopy of thick leaves, which were dangling off the tall trees that offensively, blocked the sky's existence. Because of this, Laguna had a difficult time trying to figure out the precise time._

However, due to all the wilderness survival training that Aquilis taught him, Laguna was able to tell the time despite the forest's thick rooftop.

_"Well lets see…the sun is setting and since it is autumn, the sun usually sets at around 6:00...So that must be the time…" Laguna took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. __"Well that doesn't leave me with much time…I better start searching for Kiros and Ward now before it gets too dark…but first I gotta get something to drink…my throat feels like a T-Rexar's skin."_

Laguna walked down a small hill toward a large plant that was drenched with water from the earlier rainfall. When he reached, he crouched down directly in front of the plant and used his hands to sweep all the twigs and leaves away from under it. 

**"AHH!!! AGGHHHHHHHHH !!! A_ WORM!!!" _**Laguna Screamed as he immediately took two long strides away from the plant and shook his hands into the air hysterically. Thirty seconds later, realizing that he was looking like an idiot; he stopped and stood dead still as his paranoid eyes roamed around each corner of the lonely forest to see if anyone witnessed his moronical outbreak. For a split second, he was glad that he was alone. 

_"Ha…good thing Kiros and Ward wasn't here to see me do that, They'd probably _

_kill me with jokes…and then bring me back to life with more jokes..."_

After confirming that no one was around and that he was all alone, He continued to scream and shake his hands into the air like a little schoolgirl.

_            After realizing that his fingers weren't the worm, he calmed himself down and slowly made his way back toward the plant with a feeling of stupidity haunting him. _

He crouched back down and picked up one of the twigs that he brushed away earlier. Feeling a sudden burst of courage, he valiantly scooped it under the fat pudgy worm and picked it up.

            _"Jeez what's wrong with me…I've been through the most bloodiest of battles and I'm going nuts over a worm…its just a worm for hyne's sake…A…A…A very big worm…AHHH IT MOVED!!!" Laguna quickly threw the twig away and started his school girl tantrums again. " Hyne I hate worms."_

            Laguna was finally able to calm himself down once again and again, he went back to the plant and crouched down in front of it. He unzipped his bag and withdrew an empty water bottle from it. He placed the water bottle down on the floor where earlier, he brushed away the leaves and twigs and where he almost had a brush with "death."

            He then rose up leaving the bottle on the ground and  placed both hands on the tip top of the plant and fixed the leafs so that the raindrops, which fell on them earlier, would drain down on the leaf below it. And the leaf below that would drain more water on the leaf below that until finally, it got to the bottom leafs of the plant and ultimately into the water bottle.

Five minutes went by until finally, Laguna had a good amount of water that would satisfy his aching thirst. Laguna picked the water bottle up anxiously and swallowed every last drop of the cool fresh water. He wanted more for later, However, it was already getting dark and he wanted to use the little golden light which was left of the sun's set, to get some grounds covered before night.

Laguna started walking through the cold atmosphere deep into the forest's belly. He walked with his head down hoping to locate any footprints. Sadly, none could be detected.

"WARD……KIROS…..ANYONE…..I'M NOT THE ENEMY…I'M APART OF THE PROJECTILE UNIT LED BY AQUILIS TREPE!!!" 

_"Aquilis Trepe…"sigh Just saying his name made Laguna's throat become choked up. Laguna downheartedly reached into his pocket and pulled out the locket that Aquilis gave him to give to his unborn daughter. Laguna studied the golden covering carefully. He wanted to open it just to be reminded of how Aquilis looked, but he knew he had a promise to keep. He would have to use his own imagination to remember Aquilis's long silky blonde hair and his contradictory fierce yet gentle blue eyes. Laguna laughed to himself as he remembered how Aquilis refused to wear his glasses even though he knew that it was like the blind spell being casted upon him when he wasn't wearing them. But now, his beloved lieutenant was dead, and for what…Because two leaders were at each other's throats about sorceresses. __"Ahh man…" Laguna sadly wondered.__ "Now how am I going to tell Pecilis that her husband died…especially with her being pregnant." _

Sorrowfully, Laguna put the locket back into his pocket and tried to seclude his distracting thoughts. He kept his eyes peeled as he continued his search for his friends; or for anyone else for that matter. 

**Two hours later** (7:00pm)

Laguna was still at it. He had been searching now for the past 2 hours and it was night time. Still, despite the night's black light, he persistently continued with his search. He was worried and frustrated. He just wanted all of this to be over. All he wanted to do was find his friends, go back to Deiling City, and go to the Hotel-bar to hear his Julia sing with her fingers. He was fed up with war. After all, it wasn't a personal vendetta for him. The only reason why he joined was to experience all aspects of life so he could have more to write. Of all the things he thought he would experience, deep down inside, he never thought that he would experience death's cold embrace; He didn't mean to go that far. He never thought he would see human beings killing other human beings in such a violent manner. He remembered how his father use to tell him that ever since the Lunar cry about 80 years ago, war between humans never took place. It was always humans uniting together and fighting off all the hideous monsters that roamed the earth.

**"KIROS…WARD…" **Laguna shouted for the millionth time. And for the millionth time, he received no answers. Laguna's body was tired and weary. His body wanted to give up but his distressed heart was aching for his two friends. He couldn't give up, he wasn't about to. Especially not after all they had been through…vibrant memories danced in Laguna's mind as he recalled the day they all first met.

***~~~~~~~~Flash Back~~~~~~~~~~~~***

"Would anyone else like to say any last words?" The minister solemnly asked. 

In that same instance, Laguna could feel the rays of every single eye staring directly at him. He knew that everyone expected him to say something, but how could he; he was only 13 years old.

Sadly, Laguna sighed as he looked upon his father lying peacefully in his coffin.

The cool evening snow lightly sprinkled its peace upon Deiling City's Cemetery as Laguna's blurry eyes immensely showered warm tears down his cold cheeks. 

The evening's brisk chill inconsiderately scolded the noses and fingers of the congregation that honorably came to pay their respects. However, despite the cold harshness of the weather, it didn't compare to the storm that went on in Laguna's squalled heart.

Laguna sullenly looked at the gravesite next to his father's coffin. It was his mother's grave. He mournfully stared at the writings as his throat became clogged up with more emotions, which ultimately caused his eyes to leak out more tears. 

*~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

_                                                            **R.I.P**_

**_"SADAICIA LOIRE…DEVOTED MOTHER AND LOVING WIFE."_**

*~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

_ Laguna had adored his mother. He remembered how sick she got when she was attacked by a large green creature which ultimately casted Bio on her. About two weeks later she died. Laguna remembered how much he cried. If it wasn't for his father who took care of him and made him laugh, he knew that he would've died from depression. _

Now, with both his parents' dead, Laguna was an orphan. He didn't have anyone left.  Laguna's eyes were drawn back toward his departed father which also drew tears from his eyes.

"Uhmm…Is everyone sure they don't have any last words to share before the diggers lay Mac-Daniel Laguna Loire to rest."

Laguna knew that this was his queue to say something. He didn't know what to say but he knew he had to say something or he would've regretted it the rest of his life.

 He took in a deep breath and cleared his throat as he discovered his gift for words for the very first time. 

"Umm…When my mother died, My dad sacrificed his life for mine…" Laguna's words now grew bolder. "When my mother died…I was very very sad…and I wouldn't eat, drink or sleep…but my father…My father sacrificed his life for mine…"

The baffled crowed silently whispered amongst each other. They weren't sure what was wrong with Laguna or what he was talking about but they were convinced that he was going crazy. Eventhough Mac-Daniel's death was a mystery to them all, they knew that he didn't die saving his son.

Laguna looked at the overworked crowd but he continued despite their confusion and curiosity. He wasn't saying it for them; he was saying it for his mother, for his father, for himself.

"My father made me laugh when I needed to. He fed me when I wouldn't eat and he sang to me when I refused to sleep. He made sure I was happy throughout the ruff times. But no one was there to make him happy. No one was there to make him laugh or smile…Except for my mother. She…She has made him happy by taking him away from here…She waited until I was ready to be alone and then she comforted him through death…So you see…he didn't mysteriously die, he was taken away by my mother, and now they are both together again."

Everyone stood noiseless. It was so silent that even the sounds of the snow falling to the ground could be heard. Everyone was astonished of what this young lad had just said. They were so surprised that someone of his age would say something so meaningful. It was as if that's exactly what happened. Infact, their hearts believed that it was his mother indeed who took his father away to paradise.

"Ok" The minister said. "Lets bow our heads and say one last prayer for Mac-Daniel Laguna Loire…"

After the prayer was over, one by one, everyone started to leave. Laguna looked around confusingly for the diggers but they were no where to be found.

"Wait…wait…what about my father?" Laguna ran up to the minister and tugged away at his shirt. "What about my father? Why is everyone just leaving him here…who is going to bury him?"

The minister reassured Laguna that the cemetery diggers would be here later on to do the job but Laguna wasn't satisfied. Just like his father did for his mother, he demanded that the job be done now. 

The minister left Laguna feeling that there was nothing else he could do for him now

Laguna stood in the freezing cold by his father's coffin, waiting for the arrival of the diggers so he could bid his father farewell properly. An hour later the sun started to set and still, the diggers didn't show up. He couldn't leave knowing that the diggers might not show up, So he did the only sensible thing he could think of. He decided to bury his father himself.

Laguna went for the rope that held the casket above the 6-foot hole and he untied it. Then bracing himself, he slowly lowered the casket into the ground. Suddenly Laguna started to feel the whole wait of the casket weighing down and he began to loose his grip. The casket almost dropped to the floor when suddenly a large hand quickly grabs the rope and keeps the casket from falling.

Laguna turned around and saw a huge boy wearing overalls and a blue jacket to match his blue bandana. He was holding the rope with ease. Without exchanging any words, the two of them begin to lower the casket into the ground.

Finally, After they both lowered the coffin, Laguna went straight toward the pile of dirt and picked up a handful of it and stood over his father's grave. He quietly said his last good-byes

 "Ill be alright Dad…so you don't worry about me…you go and have lots and lots a fun with mom and I will be up there to join the both of you someday…but until then, I will live life…" 

With that said, Laguna threw the dirt in his hand onto the casket.

Handful by handfuls, Laguna and his new found friend, who he has yet to learn his name from, started using their hands to retrieve the dirt, and cover up the coffin into the ground. Laguna knew that it would probably take forever for the job to be done but he wasn't going to leave his father exposed.

Two hours later, a young copper-skinned boy walks by the cemetery on his way to the food shelter. He suddenly sees two kids covering up the gravesite with only their hands. He figured that they were poor like him and wasn't able to afford a shovel to bury their father. His warm heart felt remorse for the two of them so he decided to walk over and give them a hand.

On his way there, he saw a large branch laying on the floor. Suddenly he had a bright idea. He bent down and picked up the branch and took out his fighting katals that his older brother gave to him before he died. He then removed the blue scarf that was around his neck and used it to tie his katals side by side to the branch so that it would make a shovel.

He then slowly made his way to Laguna where he lightly taps him on the shoulder. Without any conversing, Laguna takes the instant made shovel and uses it to cover up his father's bed. In silence all three of them went to work on covering up the grave. 

Ever since that evening, the three of them have been inseparable. It was like fate. They each possessed an ability that the other lacked and it made them very powerful. It made them friends.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~End of Flashback~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Laguna was now shaken free from his memories when he felt the sky start to cry tears of rain again. "_The sky probably isn't finish purifying the blood on the battlefield." With hard feelings, Laguna decided to momentarily abandon his search for the night and find a shelter to rest in._

**3 Hours later** (11:00pm)

Laguna tiredly walked around in the intensified rainstorm for hours. He couldn't find anywhere where he could rest and stay for the night. He was soaked. Because the rain was making his armor rust and hard to move in, he took it off and threw it to the ground abandoning it. This caused his whole attire to become one with the water. His boots were filled with water and his long wet brunette hair pressed firmly against his fatigued face.

            The forest was now pitch-black. Laguna kept pricking his skin on the thorny bushes, and stumbling in the thick mixture of leaves and mud. He struggled to see his surroundings with the little rays of moonlight that were able to breach through the tree's canopy crowns. 

He approached a ravaging river that showed its anger of the rain and winds. In the distance to his right, he was able to strain his eyes and see an old rickety wooden bridge swaying back and forth in the gusty winds. _"Hmmm…" he thought to himself.__ "If someone built a bridge right here…then maybe it means that there's something on the other side…maybe shelter…"_

_            Laguna struggled with the powerful winds to make his way toward the shaky and wobbly bridge. As he got closer and closer to it, he realized that the bridge reminded him of himself. In times of storms, he was always shaky and wobbly. He was always unstable at times of trouble. Laguna started to notice this flaw within himself and realized that whenever a problem arose, he'd run. And here was this bridge trying to do the same thing. It was violently swaying back and forth in the gusty wind trying to break free so it could get away. And for some odd reason, he felt that this flaw would someday cause his downfall. He felt that it would someday cause a lot of heartache and disappointment in someone's life._

Laguna shook his head from his thoughts and looked down below before he crossed. The water was about 20 feet below the bridge and it seemed as though it was gradually rising.

Not wanting to waste any time Laguna started to cross the quaking bridge. He took little steps at a time while he used both hands to hold on to the rotting ropes. As Laguna took his time to carefully cross the only path to the other side of the forest, A sudden surge of wind violently started to make the bridge bounce up and down.

In fear, Laguna tightly wrapped his arm around one side of the rope and held on with all the power in his muscles. Laguna's heart now started to race as he felt the ropes begin to break. He knew that if he fell into the river, the rapids and rocks would tear his body apart. With only one other option, Laguna dropped his machine gun into the river and used his other free hand to hold on firmly to the rope. With a lot of effort, he started to pull himself to the other side of the bridge. Halfway there, the rope snapped in half and the bridge swung over to the other side. Laguna hit the grassy riverbank hard and made a loud thump

"UMPH." It wasn't over. Laguna could feel the top of the rope start to unwind. He quickly started to climb the rope in efforts to reach the top bank before the rope broke and released him into the river. Just in the nick of time, Laguna was able to pounce onto the riverbank before the rope broke off and the rickety old bridge disappeared into the rivers fury.

Laguna sat there breathing heavily. He was amazed as to the luck he had been having lately. He looked at the bridge being buried under the ravaging river and he realized that in times of a storm, you couldn't be weak and wobbly. You have to be strong and stable so that you won't be swept away. This was a lesson Laguna knew he would one day face. He just hoped that his strength wouldn't betray him.

Despite the desperate need of rest his body needed, he knew he had to keep moving. As he slowly walked deeper and deeper into the dark cold forest, he tiredly forced his way through the rushing winds that occasionally swept flashes of lightning. 

Suddenly, he saw a small fire burning inside a cave far in the distance. A feeling of relief smothered his body. Even though he was a bit scared, he was strongly urged by an unnatural feeling to go in. 

He reluctantly started walking toward the peculiar cave. All of a sudden, he felt a mystic feeling slowly overwhelming his body. He realized that the closer he got to the cave, the stronger the feeling became. It was as if someone was dragging him into this mysterious cave. This was déjà vu. He felt this feeling before. This feeling was of the same feeling that he felt in this morning's battle when the meteors almost landed on him and in this evening's battle when he miraculously escaped the fierce touch of all those blizzagas, and firagas that was being thrown at him.

            Laguna fought through the fierce winds and heavy rain and approached the cave's entrance in what seemed to be in a twinkle of an eye. He hesitantly peered his head in. 

"KIROS…WARD" he shouted, hoping that they would be in there.

There was no answer. Laguna looked around the cave in curiosity, trying to figure out who built that fire.

"Please...Help me…." a weak feminine voice quietly whispered out in pain. 

Laguna's attention was now at full alert. He quickly went into the fire lighted cave and rapidly looked around in every direction in efforts to find out who the owner of that distraught voice belonged to.  

He took a few steps further in but stopped in the middle of the dim lighted cave where the small fire was burning. He looked around with bewilderment. There was no one in there or atleast that's what he thought until he heard the sobs of a shadowy figure coming from a dark corner deep in the back of the cave. 

sniff…sniff "Please don't hurt me…I'm sorry…I'm so, so sorry… I didn't mean to hurt him…"

Laguna stopped dead in his tracks to see beautiful young lady, crouched down on the cave's floor in tears.

Laguna stared at her with sympathy. He wondered what she was talking about. While keeping his distance, he slowly stooped down beside her and reached out his arms toward her. He very slowly placed his right hand against her cheek and with his thumb, he wiped away the tears that flowed down her crystal green eyes. At this point she seemed to be too tired and exhausted to put up a fight.

He noticed that she was wet and shivering. Evidently, it seemed as though she was lost and had been out in the rain for a long time.

"Are you alright?" He sympathetically whispered. 

The lonely girl looked at him from the dark corner with great pain in her eyes. Seeing his hazel eyes stare at her with care and remorse made her green emerald eyes weld up with more tears.

 When Laguna saw this, he knew that she must have been through some sort of great ordeal. He knew that for her to get so emotional when he asked her something that most people ask their loved ones could only mean that there probably wasn't a whole lot of people in her life that loved, or cared about her. He knew that if he wasn't the first, he was probably one of the few people that showed her affection that she obviously longed for. 

As a result, this made his thoughts wonder. _"Why would anyone be so mean to such a pretty lady…Who wouldn't want to show her any love???…And what did she mean by I didn't mean to hurt him???"_

He wasn't entirely sure on how to handle the situation but the first thing he knew he had to do, was to get her out of those wet clothes before she caught pneumonia. 

Still being cautious, He slowly moved in closer and gently place both hands on her shoulders and slowly rose up so that she would rise up with him simultaneously. 

Laguna could tell that she was terrified, but he knew that if he kept constant eye contact with her, it would sedate her fears.

With very little resistance, he pulled her in closer to him to the point where their noses almost touched. As they both gazed into each other's souls, Laguna was accidentally mesmerized by her beauty. Especially the beauty in her eyes. His plan was to drag her in closer to him so that he could pick her up and carry her to the firelight, however, after pulling her in closer, he got lost in her eyes and forgot to execute the picking up part. 

"Oh…Ummm…ahh…I wass….Ummm…" Laguna mumbled as he broke away from their optical embrace. 

She stood still and continuously stared at his embarrassed expression. Her face expressed no emotion and the sadness within her caused another tear to pass through her green orbs. Seeing this made Laguna reclaim his senses and get back to dealing with the matter at hand.

Now trying to avoid eye contact with her, he bent down and picked her up in a cradle position. He then walked on over to the fire that was already made in the middle of the large cave. The whole time, he was amazed of how light and soft she was. 

As he delicately placed her down by the fire's warmth, he couldn't help but wonder to himself. _"…Did she make this fire or did someone else do it…???…And how come she wasn't sitting by it...???"  The thoughts in his mind continued to puzzle his senses. But he decided to ask questions later, and try to get her as comfortable as possible, now. _

Laguna turned around to pick up his bag. "So…What's your name?" he asked trying to silence the awkward silence. He turned back around and unzipped his pack while waiting for an answer. 

There was a long pause. She looked at him as if she wanted to ask herself that same question. She didn't even realize who she was anymore. She didn't know if she could even trust him.

After not hearing an answer, he took his eyes off his bag that he was running his hands through and looked up with concern. "…Ummm…Do you…have a name?" he softly asked as he moved in closer and sat down in front of her.

Her silence was persistent, but so was Laguna.

He looked at her for a moment and was bedazzled by her innocent beauty. He cautiously stretched out his hand towards her cheek very slowly, hoping that she wouldn't panic or become afraid. However, is hopes were demolished as she furiously tried to back away from him in fear. Fortunately for Laguna, the cave wall that her back was now pressing firmly against trapped her in the same spot and didn't allow her to go anywhere except forward. 

Feeling helpless, she tightly shut her eyes and turned her head towards the cold cave wall anticipating Laguna's harsh blow; but what she got was his soft touch. Laguna smiled as he gingerly stroked her cold cheek with his palm. She stopped pressing her back against the wall and slowly opened her eyes after realizing that he wasn't hurting her. She slowly turned her worried face towards him with a look of surprise. She continuously looked down and avoided eye contact with him because she didn't want him to know the enjoyment that she felt from his hands comforting warmth. 

Laguna was trying to assure her that everything was going to be ok and that he wasn't going to hurt her. The only way he knew how to do that was through touch. He figured that touch was an essential part of a person's personality. If someone hits you, then for that moment in time, you'd view that person as being violent and mean. But if that same person gently caresses you and softly touches you, then its almost impossible to picture he/she as being violent; that person will only be viewed as being gentle and sensitive.

She paused for a moment and gazed up at his eyes hoping to see that his reassuring gesture was genuine. After feeling a bit more comfortable, she quietly tried to give an answer. "………Yes…I do………My name…is…is…" She took in a deep breath, and slowly let it out. Her cracked voice was having trouble formulating the air into words. It couldn't get past the choked up lump that was formed in her throat through all the crying she did earlier. She took in another deep breath and this time; she held it in for twice as long and let it out so gently that even a feather wouldn't have moved "…My name is…Adel..."

**Authors notes: **please remember to leave a review (remember to be honest) I worked hard on this chap and I wouldn't mind getting paid with reviews, so please support me. Oh by the way, I'm trying to hurry up and get chapter 2 and all its verses out of the way so I can really start writing about the main characters. Basically chapter 1 and 2 are just introductions…I'm hoping to get chapter 3 out before Christmas so keep checking back for updates because chap 3 sets around Christmas time and I'm trying to put it out before Christmas so it could be a little Christmas gift from me to you…god I hate the word Christmas now lol

I'll talk to you guys later (remember, anonymous reviews are now accepted…so now everyone can leave a review yeaaa)


	6. NEWS

WRITERS

Dear readers…I apologize for not updating but life has been throwing me a lot of curve balls…thanx to lonewolfsquall and his reviews…I will be working on episode two now…I hope to have the first verse of episode two out by Thursday or Friday (remember each verse is like 4 chapters compared to other people's writting)

Oh by the way…about ruby dragon…ive been getting a lot of heat w/ the comments that I said to him/her and I just want to let u all know that, that beef between me and ruby has been squashed a very very very long time ago…before u guys even started sending me flames about it. Ruby has apologized to me and he/her has explained the situation to me, and I have apologized to ruby for being so harsh…infact…I helped him/her a bit on the story to make it better…

oh lonewolfsquall, about that braveheart thing…I must've forgot to give Randall Wallace (the writer of braveheart) credit in the disclaimer…I had no intention to try to steal his story away…infact…if that was the case…I wouldn't have named the verse title "Braveheart" the reason why I put the braveheart plot in ther was because if u read carefully u wouldve noticed that I was trying to emplify that william wallace was I guess u could say Aquilis's father (when Aquilis thanked Gen. Caraway for telling the soldiers about his father in his speech) I meant to credit him in the disclaimer but…I don't know what happened…(I smoke a lot of weed) 

So to some this shit all up…new verses are coming soon…so leave reviews untill then peace….

P.S       Brazen Angel…I still have faith in you…finish what you started…

            Everyone I want your cooperation and I want you to leave reviews of brazen angel's story "The wall between us" tell her to start her fucking writing again…peace(and does anyone really care what color laguna's eyes areJ


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